Tales Within and Outwith the Gyms of Kalos
by Angel-chan Desu
Summary: Drabble shots starring the Kalos gym leaders. Some will be short, some will be long, some will extend past one chapter and some may star other regional leaders.
1. Staving Boredom

Boredom. It was all Korrina could feel at that moment.

She was lying with her limbs spread out on a grassy hill overlooking her gym, skates discarded on the path above, and her face a picture of blankness as her gaze focused on the clouds above her. She took in a deep breath, then exhaled, pure frustration driving the air from her lungs. She groaned as she sat herself up with effort, crying aloud, "Aaaaaaaaah, there's no-thing to do! I can't even be bothered to skate I'm so bored!" With that, she collapsed onto her back once more, letting out a small whimper as she lay there. Just then, Korrina heard a click from above her, making her open her eyes again and lift herself back into a sitting position. Her head swivelled to look over her shoulder.

"Having fun?" Viola chuckled, holding her camera in such a way that would suggest - if the clicking sound didn't already suggest this - she'd just taken a photo. Korrina pouted, unamused.

"What do you think?" she deadpanned, getting to her feet and walking onto the path to join her fellow gym leader. Viola flashed the blonde a sympathetic smile and simply said, "You're having one of those days. Don't worry, everyone gets them." Korrina's eyes rolled as she put on her skates. Then, she asked, "Actually, why are you here? Something wrong in Santalune?" Viola shook her head.

"No no, nothing's wrong. I just decided I wanted to take some pictures of the coast. I asked my sister to drop me off in Ambrette Town since she was going there too. She's doing a piece on the Glittering Caves," she explained. The two began walking toward the Shalour Gym - skating in Korrina's case - as the younger girl said, "Cool. I wouldn't mind seeing that when the issue comes out. Alexa's articles are the only reason I even read the Lumiose Press, since everything else in the paper is just over priced, over hyped trash."

"It's not all bad, y'know," the blonde replied, "It can be informative when it tries, other than my sister's stuff. Though I can see where you're coming from; some of the clothes they advertise are a bit too pricey. I could never afford them, not on the salary the League pays me." Korrina snickered.

"Yeah, the League is stingy. I heard Valerie actually travels all the way to her home region just to get cheaply priced fabrics for her furisode girls' clothes. Speaking of which, d'you think the other Leagues are as cheap as ours is? Or do they actually give their leaders enough money to let them live?" Viola thought it over, finger on her chin.

"I'm not sure. I could ask Alexa if she could look into it, since she's good at researching stuff. Though we should be careful if we do, she might decide to turn it into a proper story and get into hot water over it," Viola laughed, with Korrina joining in, "That'd suck! I can already see the headline; 'Big News!: Top Journalist Jailed for Uncovering Cheapskate Secrets'. Poor thing."

"I wouldn't be surprised though if the Unova League doesn't pay it's gym leaders much, since they can support themselves with their gyms doubling as additional businesses," the Santalune gym leader pointed out, trying to calm herself and turn the topic away from her sister potentially getting sent to the big house. Korrina looked at her with confusion, one eyebrow cocked.

"Huh? Y'think it would work like that there?" This caused Viola to shrug and reply, "Its just an assumption. Ah, we're at the route gate," she suddenly said, surprising Korrina.

"Eh? That was fast." Viola turned to her and held out her hand, which Korrina took with a smile.

"Thank you for keeping me company. We certainly had an...interesting discussion," she said, their conjoined hands bobbing up and down in a shake. Korrina nodded.

"Yep. And thank you for getting me out of my rut. Now, if you'll excuse me," she said, turning away from Viola and beginning to skate away, continuing to toss the rest of her sentence over her shoulder, "I'm gonna head to Cyllage City and challenge Grant to a race! Because why not!" With that, she raced away, leaving Viola to smile at her retreating back.

"Well, at least she's feeling better now," she chuckled, then continued on her way to Coumarine City.

* * *

**I'm trying a thing.**

**These'll mainly be drabble shots about the Kalos gym leaders cause I actually really like them. Some will be super short, some will be super long, some may have other gym leaders from other regions, and some may even go over one chapter.**

**I've written some already but I won't post them all at once; I'll space them out to give me time to write more. Speaking of which, requests would be nice, though nothing too complicated please.**

**Thank you for reading, review if you want to.**

**Angel-chan x**


	2. The Dedenne in the Maze

Maybe Ramos was imagining it. Yes. Yes that's it. There was no way there was a Dedenne lurking around the hedge mazes of Route 4. No no, you could only find those pokémon on Route 11, and there was no logical reason for an entire species to suddenly migrate from one route to the next. While it wouldn't be odd to hear of it belonging to a trainer, he knew all the trainers that frequented the route, and none of them owned a Dedenne. And if one of them had caught a Dedenne, they would've let him know. Not because they had to; more because it was nice to spread news such as that. And Ramos was also a frequent visitor to the route, despite how far off he lived from it, what with him always having to help the gardeners keep the hedge mazes tidy.

"It's a lovely day today," he murmured to himself absently, his Gogoat beside him sniffing in response as he clipped away at the hedge. Sighing, he lowered his clippers and leaned against them. He removed his hat and wiped his forehead of the sweat he'd built up.

"A lovely day indeed," he nodded. A flash of brown from within the hedge made him frown, though he didn't turn to look at where it'd come from. He sighed and placed the hat back on his head, then turned to Gogoat, cracking a smile.

"I think the heat's getting to me, ol' boy. There's a first, eh?" he chuckled, patting the large goat on its flank as they began to move to the insides of the maze. A small grunt came from under his breath as he lifted the shears again and began to work once more.

"Once we're done here, we can head on home," he muttered to his Gogoat. Gogoat replied with a small growl, while Ramos asked, "Now which way should we take home today? I've heard here and there that the pokémon on Route 13 are restless today, and I wouldn't mind taking a stroll along the coast with the breeze we have today. Shall we take the long way?" Before his partner could respond, a tiny face popped out of the hedgerow where the man was working, making the gym leader jump.

"Arceus, that got the ol' heart jumpin'," he gasped, while Gogoat began growling at the small rodent - the elusive Dedenne haunting Route 4 that day - that had shocked his partner. The Electric-type tilted its head at the display, then darted back into the safety of the bush. Gogoat cast a quick glance to the old man behind him, and once he saw that he was recovering, he took chase.

"Hmm, well that confirms it is real. Now to hope Gogoat doesn't do the poor thing too much harm; it must belong to someone." He began to leave the hedge maze after investigating the hedges to see they were all evenly cut. Once out of the hedgerow, he was surprised to see Bonnie, younger sister of the Lumiose gym leader, standing by the entrance to the city, looking around worriedly.

"Ah, Mr Ramos?" she said, spotting the older man. She put on a smile and ran toward him. "Done with the hedges today?" He nodded.

"It's good to see you too Bonnie. Now what're you doin' here without your brother? Ain't he wonderin' where you are?" he asked. Bonnie's smile instantly fell away and her face returned to its previous worried expression.

"Well, y'see, I'm sort of here looking for something." One of Ramos' eyebrows went up at this.

"Okay, but that still doesn't explain where Clemont is." The young blonde grimaced, then chuckled nervously, "I snuck away from him. He's pretty busy at the moment anyway, since some fuses in the tower have blown. Besides, he doesn't need to know I've lost the thing I'm looking for." Ramos nodded slowly, muttering, "Understandable. So what are you looking for and why would you get in trouble for losin' it?" Bonnie opened her mouth to reply when Gogoat cried out from the maze, catching their attentions. This was then followed by the pained squeaking of the now captured Dedenne, ensnared in the goat pokémon's vines.

"Ah, Dedenne!" Bonnie gasped, and she began running toward the pokémon. As she got closer, Gogoat began to lower the pokémon down, eyes narrowing with hostility as it reached eye level. Dedenne however ignored the goat and instead squirmed in its grip, until Gogoat released it. Now free, the small rodent pokémon darted across the hedge top and into a relieved Bonnie's arms. Ramos chuckled.

"Good to know the critter did belong to someone, I was beginning to think my old age was making me go crazy and imagine everything," he laughed. Bonnie giggled herself, holding Dedenne close. With a nod from the gym leader, Gogoat lowered itself to allow the girl to climb on, then carried her and her little friend out of the maze. Once outside again, she jumped off then said, looking sheepish, "I'm sorry if Dedenne gave you trouble. I'm supposed to be responsible for him, but he snuck away from me. If Clemont had found out I'd lost him, I would've been in so much trouble."

"Ah, think nothin' of it. Now, let's take you both back to your brother. And we'll be tellin' him that you and your little friend wanted to come see me, so no-one has to get into any trouble." Bonnie smiled and nodded, and began to follow after the old man, her partner perched on her head.

* * *

**Another short drabble shot. This is one of the ones I wrote before beginning the posting process. It also seemed appropriate to post this one today considering the anime episode focusing on Dedenne and him becoming Bonnie's partner aired today as well.**

**Speaking of the anime, random confession, I adore both Clemont and Bonnie cause they are both precious and Clemont is a dork and a big brother and those are both weaknesses of mine in anime characters aah~**

**/fangirl moment over sorry**

**But yeah, I like them.**

**Thank you for reading once more. Hope you liked and sorry it was short again. These are mainly drabble shots again. Suggestions for drabbles welcome. Review and/or fave if you want to show me some love. :)**

**Angel-chan x**


	3. Entertaining Fantina

The clicking of the sewing machine echoed in the room, overlapping the sound of the clock tick-tocking away on the wall. Valerie's hands gently pushed the light blue fabric through the machine, a small smile beginning to form on her face as she watched her latest design become a reality. However, her work was stopped as she heard the phone ringing from elsewhere within her gym, which also doubled as her living quarters. Switching off the machine, she stood and wandered over to a warp pad that sat in the corner of the room. Valerie stood on the pad, and suddenly appeared in a room where velvet covered sofas sat. And where the phone was, unfortunately. Picking up the phone, she said, her voice light and quiet in almost a whispering fashion, "Yes? How may I help you?"

"Ah Valerie, good to know you're home." It was Olympia. "I'm sorry I disturbed you from your work," - and of course, she knew she was disturbing her. The gym leaders shared a mutual theory that Olympia purposefully let them know she knew what they were doing when she called so as to creep them all out and keep them in line. As for why she would want to keep them in line, well, only Wulfric knew that, and he wouldn't tell for all the Sitrus Berry pies Kalos had to offer - "but I was wondering if you could do me a favour."

"Yes?" Valerie was curious. It must be fairly serious if Olympia was calling her, since her only real specialty beyond battling was designing clothes.

"I have a friend you see, from another region, and at times, she comes to visit me. She's here today actually, however it is unfortunate timing as I'm busy today." Valerie felt a wave of despair coming over her; she knew exactly what this "favour" would entail. And when she was so close to finishing that outfit...

"If I may, would I be correct in assuming you would like me...to take in your friend for the day?"

"If it wouldn't be too much trouble." Valerie paused, lip trembling. She would've preferred to have finished the dress that day, as she was "in the zone" at that time, so to speak; tomorrow wouldn't cut it as she most likely would've lost her touch for the design and either redesigned it from scratch or just abandoned it and started afresh. Covering the phone, she sighed, a slight whimper escaping with it. Returning the uncovered phone to her ear, she responded, trying to not to sound disappointed, "I don't mind at all. When will she be here?" She heard her front door open, surprising the gym leader.

"She should be there now actually, if the winds were in her favour. Thank you for doing this." The Psychic specialist also said goodbye, but by that point, the phone was already away from Valerie's ear and hovering over the receiver, the young woman waiting for the call to end before putting it down. Once the telltale beeping drifted to her ear, signalling that the person on the other end had hung up, she placed the phone back on the hook and ran to another warp pad in the opposite corner of the room, appearing in the front hallway of her gym.

"Ah! You must be Valerie!" The girl in question blinked at the scene in front of her. Standing in her hallway was a woman with purple hair done up into four large...pigtails, Valerie wanted to say, and she wore a most extravegant purple dress; in truth, Valerie felt quite plain just looking at it, considering she herself wasn't wearing her best attire, just a t-shirt and a skirt, as she thought she'd be alone for the day. Meanwhile, Linnea - one of her Furisode girls and gym trainers and one whom had decided to come to the gym that day despite Valerie not needing her to, what with her wanting to focus on working rather than battling - was struggling with the suitcases the woman had brought with her. And throughout all this, a Drifblim floated harmlessly next to the woman.

"I am? I mean, yes, I am!" The gym leader said, putting on a smile. She stepped off the warp pad and walked toward the woman, hand held out as a welcoming gesture. The woman beamed in response and grabbed the hand with both of her own, shaking enthusiastically, and throwing Valerie off balance.

"It's a pleasure! I'm Fantina, Olympia's friend. It's so good of you to take care of me while Olympia is busy, _c'est vraiment bon_!" It was at this that Valerie noted the woman, Fantina's accent; it was French, much like everyone else's in Kalos. Yet at the same time...

"Th-think nothing of it," she said, smiling nervously as her hand was finally freed from Fantina's surprisingly tight grip, "Actually, if you don't mind me asking, where have you come from?" Fantina laughed.

"_Ma chère_, I've come a long way just to visit a friend. All the way from the Sinnoh region, in fact." While Fantina then chuckled, as if this fact were a small joke, Valerie couldn't help but be curious. She turned to Linnea, who seemed to have gained control of the suitcases, and told her, "Take Ms. Fantina's suitcases to my bedroom. We'll sort out arrangements shortly." As the Furisode girl made her way to the warp pad, Valerie turned her attention back to Fantina, who was giggling away to her Drifblim, like she were sharing secrets with it.

"So," the gym leader started, catching Fantina's own attentions again, "you're from Sinnoh? That's quite far away." The woman nodded, saying, "Well, I'm actually from another region. For you see, Sinnoh _ce n'est pas ma région natale_. But Sinnoh is where I currently live. It is a beautiful place, truly it is." Motioning for the woman to follow her, Valerie lead her to the warp pad, and once they reached the young woman's sewing room, she asked, "Whereabouts in Sinnoh do you live?"

"Why, in Hearthome City! Home of Sinnoh's own Contest Hall! I mean, where else would a top coordinator live? Plus, my gym is there. It wouldn't make sense to live elsewhere." Valerie's mind instantly honed in on the words "coordinator" and "my gym", however the latter immediatly took precedence.

"Your gy- you mean you're a gym leader?" she asked, surprised. Fantina nodded, looking very proud to have such a title, while her Drifblim crooned quietly beside her.

"_Oui~_. I am the gym leader of Hearthome, and a master of Ghost-type pokémon. My dear Drifblim here is one of the pokémon I use, not only in gym battles but also in contests."

Which reminded Valerie of the other word that Fantina had said that'd caught her interest. Leaning against the table in the center of the room - and trying to resist the urge to continue working with the fabric still sitting in the machine - she said, "Yeah, you did say you were a coordinator. What did you get into first?"

"Ah, that is a good question! Contests were what got me started actually. I travelled all the way to Sinnoh just to take part in them. I put in hours of training and studying so I could master the art, then one day, out of the blue, the chairman of Sinnoh's own Pokémon League called me and said they were looking for a gym leader for a new gym they'd built. And it was situated in Hearthome! _C'était une surprise_!" Fantina finished her story with a cackle, though it was a lively, pleasant sort of cackle.

"That is quite a tale. I myself am in a similar situation, as I'm not actually from Kalos. I'm from Johto, though I came to this region a year or so ago," she explained. The Sinnoh woman's face was a picture of ecstatic curiosity.

"_Vraiment_? Oh do tell us more! What is your story?" she asked, hands clasped as she leaned closer to the younger girl, making her feel uncomfortable. Valerie coughed, grimacing at their close proximity.

"Well, like I said, I came here not too long ago. It was really so I could get a feel for Kalos, as I'd heard it was a very fashionable place, and I felt I could maybe draw inspiration from it, since designing clothes is something I did. And still do in my off time, as you can see," she said, gesturing to the room they were currently in. Fantina's eyes were drawn particularly to the clothes mannequin standing next to the table, wearing the outfit Valerie had been working on. She wandered over to the mannequin and started to investigate it closely, though she encouraged the young gym leader to continue with a giggle of, "Do continue, _s'il vous plait_." Valerie nodded.

"Of course, thank you. Well, I admit, I didn't plan on staying, and hoped I would be able to return to Ecruteak City - my original home, and where my parents still are - soon, but then..." She trailed off, eyes growing distant and making Fantina frown, though she didn't question Valerie's sudden shift in behaviour, especially as she continued, "I'd obviously brought some of my pokémon with me to Kalos, because I would never dream of leaving them behind. I didn't battle often, though I did go to the Battle Chateau on Route 7 from time to time, just to have the odd battle to keep myself in practise.

"One day, I was in my home here when I received a call from the League Chairman, much like yourself. He said many people had been talking about my skill, and he was inclined to offer me a gym leader position, as a previous gym leader was retiring. I wasn't sure if I should take it or not, especially since I didn't have a set type I specialised in. But then he...ah, did you hear of the new type they discovered?" This new topic, seemingly out of nowhere, made Fantina stop her analysis of the dress, confused.

"Eh...yes, I have but what..." she herself trailed off, unsure of what to say. However Valerie smiled.

"Yes, the new Fairy-type. Would you believe one of Professor Sycamore's assistants accidentally discovered it because two pokémon started fighting in the lab?" At this, the gym leader laughed. The other woman couldn't help but laugh herself.

"Yes, it sounds highly amusing! But, honestly, how does this relate?" Valerie calmed herself and smiled apologetically.

"Sorry. It does relate though. For you see, I'd told him that I didn't have a set type, but he said I did, and he told me that my Mawile and Mr Mime had apparently been confirmed to be part-Fairy through research. I was quite shocked, especially since it meant, if I took the post, I'd be the first Fairy-type gym leader." Fantina gasped, eyes lighting up.

"Such a title! One you must carry with pride, _non_?" Valerie smile, shrugging her shoulders.

"I don't really think about it actually. I do have one other pokémon, a pure Fairy-type." Opening one of the drawers in her table, she pulled out a Poké Ball and tossed it gently to the floor, upon which a light pink feline creature emerged.

"_Mon dieu, c'est très mignon~_!" Fantina cooed, immediatly bending down to take in the creature, "Oh, it is marvellous! And it even bares a resemblance to that adorable little Eevee pokémon."

"That's because it evolved from Eevee," Valerie said, surprising Fantina.

"_Non_! You don't mean to say this is yet another evolution of Eevee, do you?" She gasped over dramatically, while the Eeveelution tilted its head at her behaviour. Valerie chuckled, saying, "Yes, this is Sylveon, the third member of my pokémon team as a gym leader." Sylveon jumped onto the table next to its partner and purred, "Syl vie~."

"_Magnifique~_," Fantina whispered, breath taken by the pokémon, though this could've been her over exaggerating. "And how would one obtain such a beautiful pokémon?"

Valerie chuckled nervously, "Actually, I'm afraid to say I can't remember. My Eevee and I just spent a lot of time together and this happened. It also helped to cement my status as a Fairy specialist as well."

"That is truly a beautiful story," Fantina beamed, clapping her hands. Then, she twirled back to the mannequin, saying, "Much like how this is a beautiful dress. Is it nearly done?" The younger woman grimaced.

"It is, but I'm afraid I won't be able to complete it now." The Sinnoh gym leader gasped, shocked.

"Why ever not?" she asked, looking extremely disappointed. Valerie frowned, looking away while her Sylveon itself looked worried for its partner.

"I was hoping to get it done in one day, since I sometimes get these...flashes almost of inspiration. I don't draw or plan out these instances, I just go for it, and I typically keep my focus on those pieces I make until they're done. However..." She bit her lip. She didn't want to say that Fantina's arrival had thrown her off, as that would be rude. She was entertaining the woman in Olympia's stead. However it appeared Fantina had put two and two together and realised the problem.

"Oh, I am terribly sorry. My being here and you having to care for me has taken the spirit out of you. I truly am sorry, especially since it looks as though it would've been beautiful when finished!" Valerie quickly tried to remedy the situation, "No, no, it's fine. I'll just...see if I can finish it...tomorrow." Fantina however out her foot down. Literally.

"_Non_! I cannot allow this to happen! You shall sit at this machine and you shall continue to create a dress fit for a Champion! And so you don't feel guilty about leaving me with nothing to do while I am here in your home as your guest, I shall help! _Je dois admettre_, I don't know too much about the technicalities, but I do know of the finished product, so I can offer my knowledge toward that. After all, I wear such fabulous clothes for my contests, I should at least somewhat know what I'm talking about." Valerie, who'd been forced into the chair as Fantina was talking, blinked with surprise at the woman, before her face gained a grateful smile.

"Thank you Fantina. That would be very kind of you." The woman nodded, then clapped her hands.

"Now chop chop! We have work to do!"

* * *

**_C'est vraiment bon_ - it truly is (Literally: It's truly good)  
_Ce n'est pas ma région natale_ - It's not my region of birth  
_C'était une surprise_ - It was a surprise  
_Vraiment_ - really  
_Mon dieu, c'est très mignon_ - My God, it's very cute  
_Je dois admettre_ - I must admit**

**(Note: Not all French used in the chapter was noted because some of it is basic stuff that literally everyone knows.)**

* * *

**Finally~**

**New drabble shot released and it features a gym leader from out of Kalos.**

**Quite a few headcanon stuff featured here, like Valerie's hometown in Johto, which was never really specified. Though Imma take a stab at Ecruteak because its been said that her Furisode Girls' dresses are inspired by the Kimono Girls of Ecruteak.**

**Also, I have taken bits and pieces of Fantina's...presence from different media. Her story of becoming a gym leader for example is from the anime. Her personality and, though it was only mentioned yet never touched upon in the chapter, her method of transport - by Drifblim - are from the Special manga.**

**Hope you enjoyed, thanks for reading, and please do leave a review. As always, I'm not forcing you, but it is nice to know that people enjoy my story. At the very least, do fave or follow if you don't want to review, cause know people are interested is good enough. :)**

**Angel-chan x**


	4. A Man and His Village

**[Warning: Minor XY spoilers]**

The flowers rustled, both from the breeze and from the small, excited pokémon darting around, chasing each other. The snoozing Snorlax yawned, it's large belly rising as it did, though the pokémon resting atop it weren't disturbed. From the forest, a large man emerged, several Fletchling perched on his wide shoulders and a Furfrou marching by his side.

"I believe that was a good walk, though we almost lost you at that last turn there, didn't we?" the rotund man laughed, ruffling the Furfrou's fur. One of the Fletchling on his shoulder tweeting, wearing a sad expression. Wulfric smiled at it, then gently scratched under its bill, causing it to chirp happily.

"I'm not leaving just yet. Not until they send someone to come fetch me." With that, the tiny robins flew from his shoulders and took to the skies, before perching on the straw structures which housed many a sleeping pokémon like the Snorlax in the middle of the village. Wulfric let out a satisfied breath as he looked over the village.

"This place is coming along," he murmured, nodding approvingly. He began wandering, through the flowers, careful to avoid the playing pokémon underfoot. Once, he passed by a Skitty that had tripped over its feet while chasing a Jigglypuff, however he dipped down to help it to its feet again, wherein it mewed a quick thank you before continuing the chase. He continued his travelling until he reached the water's edge. He sat down, smiling as a Poochyena scurried over to sit next to him, and turned his gaze to the cave sitting next to the waterfall, elevated above the village by a small ledge.

"See that cave?" he said to the Poochyena, who tilted its head in curiosity, "There's a stubborn one in there. I'm still trying to get it the come on out and see the world." The Dark-type barked, causing him to say with a chuckle, "Oh hush. I promise you, there's nothing wrong with them. They're just like you; just looking for a home." The pokémon blinked, then darted off, in search of a friend to play with, leaving Wulfric alone by the river's edge.

"I don't know what to say to them. They've always seemed suspicious of that pokémon. And I don't know what to say to that one." A shadow in the cave shifted, and a figure poked its head out just enough for the light to catch its face; Mewtwo's eyes were trained on the gym leader sitting by the water. The old man lifted a hand in a welcoming gesture, but the Psychic-type growled at the offending movement, and retreated back into the cave. Wulfric sighed.

"Can't say I don't try," he muttered. He grunted as he got to his feet and shrugged, "And a little rejection won't stop me from continuing to try." He stretched his arms, groaning at the strain.

"I think now is the time to head back before the search party is sent out." A Deerling standing next to him as he said this whinnied in response, to which he himself chuckled, "Yes yes, let's not have a situation like last time." He ambled back through the flowers to the forest entrance, turning to admire the village once more. The pokémon stopped their activities, aware that he was leaving once more. Seeing them all waiting, he saluted to them all before he turned and left for Snowbelle City.

As the forest took him, the pokémon paused, looking amongst each other, before they slowly but surely continued what they were doing. Meanwhile, Mewtwo looked out from the cave again, staring at the point where the man had been sitting.

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**This is probably the shortest drabble I've produced yet, and I'm sorry. But I did say, didn't I? 'Some will be short and some will be long.' Maybe not the exact wording, but who needs to be exact when all you're doing is giving the gist of it.**

**So, despite the length, I hope you did still enjoy this little something here. More will come.**

**I do have one other that is just as short, though I may add on to it, however, it's got some more major spoilers for the game, so...yeah. Might put that one off for a wee bit longer.**

**As always, reviews and suggestions are welcome. Fave and follows are good to if you don't have anything to say cause it does show someone gives a damn about this thing.**

**Thank you once more!**

**Angel-chan x**


	5. The Gym Leader and the Detective pt1

**[Warning: Post game spoilers]**

It all looked hopeless. The wiring of the tower, that is.

Normally, Clemont wasn't ever too phased when the tower decided to black out for five or ten minutes, because normally, the cause was easily fixed. However this was different.

This black out was planned, as the lights went off not only while he was having a gym battle with a trainer, but they were off for long enough that whoever had caused them to go out had stolen some of the pokémon belonging to the gym trainers. And to top it all off, the wiring couldn't easily be fixed; whoever had been tasked with messing with it had done a _grand_ job, with many wires snipped into not only two, but three pieces, and some that couldn't be cut up simply switched around with other such wires.

"It looks messy," Bonnie muttered behind him, peering into the compartment from over his shoulder. Dedenne, resting on her head as always, murmured a low, "Ne ne," as if echoing what she'd said. Her brother sighed.

"I don't know how I'm going to fix this, at least not without help. But really, our first priority should be to find the missing pokémon," he said, getting to his feet and closing the compartment door, silently hoping he won't have to look inside it again for a while. Eyeing up the crowd of worried looking gym trainers, he sighed, before walking over to them, raising his voice to say, "Okay everyone, it would probably be best for you all to wait until the police have talked to everyone before we all go home. Hopefully, everything will be sorted soon." Helene, one of the gym trainers from the third floor of the tower and also one who'd had her Manectric stolen, stepped forward and asked, a panicked look on her face, "What about the pokémon that were taken?"

"Finding the missing pokémon is the top priority, I promise," he told her, trying to be reassuring. The girl merely bit her lip in response. Several police cars pulled up outside the tower, and the officers got to work interviewing the trainers, the gym leader and his sister included.

"What exactly happened?" Officer Jenny asked, notebook in hand. Clemont opened his mouth to reply, however Bonnie interrupted him, saying, "It was during the battle, the power just suddenly started acting weird before it completely went out." Though slightly annoyed to be interrupted again by his sister - because this was not the first time it'd happened, plus this was a serious situation - Clemont found his attention being taken elsewhere. Turning around, he found the young trainer that'd been battling him for the gym badge.

"Hey, uh," he started, aware of what the incident meant for the boy; he'd have to put off his journey toward the league for a little while, "I'm sorry about what's happened. I'm afraid we won't be able to continue our battle till everything's sorted out." The trainer shook his head, saying, "That's alright. I figured that would be the case. I was actually wondering if you had anyone in mind to find the missing pokémon?" The blond raised a single eyebrow in confusion.

"Uh, I was sort of going to let the police handle that." The trainer shrugged.

"Okay then. It's just that I'd heard of this person that was really good at this sort of thing, and they're right here in Lumiose." Growing curious, the gym leader said, "Go on." The trainer looked around, his focus on the small plazas placed between some of the Lumiose avenues leading to Centrico Plaza, which was where the tower was located. He then asked, "Where abouts is Rouge Plaza?" Clemont himself looked around before answering, "I think it's on the other side of the tower. Why?"

"The person's heaquarters is near the plaza, down the alley that leads onto North Boulevard. A place called 'Looker Bureau', and the person working there...I think her name is Essentia." The gym leader blinked, then asked, "How do you know this?" The trainer shrugged again.

"I just heard about it from somewhere. I might've picked up a card that was lying on the street actually..." The boy dug into his pockets before pulling out a small, thin card. Preferring not to question why he had picked up a random card off the street, Clemont took the card off him and looked at it, quickly checking the other side should it have anything on it. It was a fairly plain card; light grey in colour with a name and address on it.

"'Essentia, Looker Bureau, Rouge Plaza'," he read, adjusting his glasses before looking to the fine print, "'Price of services vary depending on task.'" Despite already establishing the blank underside of the card, he turned it round again then asked, "And you think this...Essentia can help find the missing pokémon?" However, the trainer had now been taken to the side by a police officer. A hand fell on his shoulder, making the boy jump, only to realise it was Officer Jenny.

"Well sir, your sister was very cooperative. We'll keep an eye out and report back once we find any leads. In the meantime, I don't think you'll be having any gym battles for a while," she said. Clemont quickly pocketed the card he'd received from the trainer and responded, "That's fine. Besides, I'll need to sort the wiring for the tower before anything else. Can't really battle in the dark, even with Electric-types." Jenny chuckled, then motioned to her squad to leave, having done all they could for now. Getting in her car, she tipped her hat to the siblings and drove off, leaving the group standing outside the now temporarily out of service tower. Some of the older gym trainers began rounding up the younger ones and dividing them up into small groups so they could be taken home.

"We should head home too, shouldn't we?" Bonnie said, looking up at her brother. She started to walk away, however Clemont stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. Calling over one of the fifth floor trainers, he asked her, "Tara, could you please take Bonnie home? I need to check something out." The older woman nodded, ushering a confused Bonnie into her group consisting of two schoolboys and one of the third floor trainers. Once the group containing his sister had disappeared down Vernal Avenue, the gym leader, now alone in Centrico Plaza, turned back to the tower and collected his backpack, still sitting next to the compartment door where he'd carelessly left it. Taking the card out again, he skimmed it once, twice, thrice more, making sure he knew where he was going.

"To Rouge Plaza then," he muttered, beginning the trek to his destination and purposefully ignoring the darkening sky overhead, as well as the lack of light coming from his gym.

* * *

Finding the place wasn't that hard, as it was where the young trainer had said it would be, down the alley leading off Rouge Plaza toward the northern boulevard of the city. He double checked the sign however, making sure he did have the place, then checked over his shoulder. He couldn't help but worry, considering the time and the location. His grip on his backpack tightened, though one hand did let go and dived into his pocket, clutching the Poké Ball containing his prized partner tightly. When he felt brave enough, he entered the building.

"Um, hello?" He called out, peaking round the door nervously before stepping in the room fully. At first, he assumed the place was empty, however he was very much mistaken, as from behind a bookshelf emerged a tall punkish looking guy.

"Oi, we're closed," the man grumbled, lumbering toward the arguably much smaller gym leader threateningly. Clemont, suddenly frightened out his mind - because did they really hire such a person and oh Arceus help him two punk girls had crawled out from wherever and were now standing behind the man wearing similar looks of hostility and annoyance directed right at him - paled and said quickly, his voice coming out in a squeak, "I-I'm sorry, there was no sign saying you were closed and I-I'm really just-"

"Do'n't matt'r brat! Scram or we'll force ya out!" the man shouted right into his face. Then one of the girls behind him said, "'ang on a minute. Ain't this boy the gym leader of that big tower?" The other girl puckered her lips.

"I think 'e is. But wot's a gym leader doin' 'ere?" she said.

"_I don't know myself anymore! I figured this could've been a bad idea but I wasn't expecting this!"_ Clemont thought, now expecting the worst to happen, though he was praying for something or someone to come help him right there and then. As though Arceus itself had heard his prayers, a voice, obviously angry and obviously directed at the trio of punks, to Clemont's relief, rang out in the room.

"Hey! What's going on 'ere? Back off, you three, back off!" The punk guy's previously menacing growl of a face turned to a frightened one similar to what the young boy had been wearing before he was suddenly pulled away from the blond by his leather jacket. The gym leader's saviour, a tanned girl with messy black hair now stood in his place. With her hands on her hips and an incredably annoyed expression on her face, she said to the three punks, who now looked sheepish while their eyes looked everywhere but the girl, "And what do you three think yer doin'? Actin' all tough an' stuff when someone's obviously come here lookin' for help. I swear, sometimes you three make me sick." This last sentence caused all three to flinch and mutter, "We're sorry boss." Clemont was both impressed and stupefied at this display.

"What am I gonna do with you lot?" she sighed, then she straightened up and barked, "Alright, if you want back in my good books, you best be gettin' some work done. Sedna, you get some filin' done; Eris, make some tea for the guest an' me; Nix, night patrol and pron'o!" The three punks both jumped to work with a panicked sounding, "Yes boss!" separating to do their individual tasks with Nix, the large man that'd previously been terrorising the gym leader, running past Clemont and out the door, a look of sheer terror on his face.

"They're tough work sometimes, but catch 'em in a good mood and they're actually alright people." Realising he was being talked to, Clemont turned back to the girl - who, upon closer inspection now she was facing him, was about his height with blue eyes, which seemed a lot kinder looking now than they'd been a few seconds before - and muttered, "If you say so." Eris shuffled away from the kitchen area, head toward the floor and asked the gym leader in a stammering voice, "H-h-how d'you t-take yer t-t-t-tea?" A quick glance at the girl and spying her stern face made the punk add, "S-s-sir?"

"Just plain, if that's okay," he said. As Eris shuffled away again, the girl by his side sighed and muttered, as if to reassure herself more than him, "They can be good people..." Motioning to a table to their right, she said, "Shall we?" The boy merely nodded in response before following her and sitting opposite her. A quick glance to his left and he saw the other punk girl - Sedna - working hard, whizzing through the folders and the files. The girl coughed, catching his attention again, and smiled.

"I'd just like to apologise for what happened. Though they were sort of right; we are closed up for the night. But, then again, can't really do much if something's up and someone needs help. In that case, mister gym leader, what's the problem?" The blond gulped and said, throat feeling quite dry all of a sudden, "C-Clemont is fine really. And may I know who you are first?" The girl nodded.

"Fair enough. I'm Emma. I live and work here. I'm Essentia's...secretary, I guess," she said, after a slight pause. Then she added, "You are looking for Essentia, aren't you?" Clemont nodded. He began to talk only for his words to change into a brief "Thank you" as Eris delivered his tea and placed it in front of him. He took a small sip only to instantly regret it as the tea was still very warm. Emma meanwhile took a large sip from her own cup, unphased by the heat and motioned for him to talk.

"Well, y'see, earlier today, the tower's electrical system started acting weird. That's something I can fix myself, but during the power failure - and this is what I need Essentia's help with - some pokémon went missing. The trainer I was battling suggest Essentia to me, saying she could help, giving me this card he'd found," he told Emma, taking the card from his pocket and putting it on the table. Emma picked up the card and flicked it once, muttering to herself, "I see..." A small purring from the floor caught Clemont's attention, making him look down. An Espurr stood by Emma's leg, peering out from behind it nervously up at him. While the boy couldn't help but feel unnerved by its stare - he'd never really been all that fond of Espurr, as harmless as he knew they were - Emma instead smiled at the creature, bending down and picking it up. She gave it a scratch behind one ear, far enough away that she wasn't touching it, and cooed to it, "Hello there Mimi." When the pokémon mewed happily - though it was hard to tell since its facial expression didn't change - Emma's smile widened.

"I don't see a problem with Essentia helping you with your problem. Though it is still late. Tell you what; I'll let Essentia know what's up, and she'll meet you in front of your gym tomorrow morning. Sound fair?" Clemont nodded.

"Yeah. Besides, I do sort of need to get home. My sister is waiting for me and she'll be wondering what happened to me, especially since I had one of the gym trainers take her home while I came here." As Emma took another sip of her tea, he remembered his own, which he reached for only to be stopped by the girl.

"You should probably head home then. She'll be worried." The blond nodded, saying rather dumbly, "She would, yeah." He stood from the table and picked up his backpack, which he'd removed when they sat down. As he reached the door however, he turned and asked, "Actually, can I ask you something quickly? Just out of curiosity?"

"Shoot."

"How old are you?" Emma's mentioning of her living and working at the Bureau had made him curious, especially considering her appearance. Emma chuckled.

"I'm 16. Now goodnight, Clemont, and have a safe trip home." This was missed by the boy however, as he left the building thinking with shock, _"She's a year older than me?"_

* * *

**Ah, another new drabble and so soon~! And I wrote it in one night! Bonus points.**

**And if I'm honest, this isn't the whole thing. It started getting way long, so I decided to write this particular drabble story with two chapters, unless the next one ends up super long as well, then maybe three. Hopefully not three, cause that's way too long, sorry.**

**Btw, remember my fangirl moment from chapter/drabble 2? Well I'm actually dead excited because I've finally written one of my fave characters now, eep! I've written about the dork omg this will be fun, plus I've got Emma in here too and I like Emma.**

**So, usual shtick; review, fave and follow, cause its all indicating you like this story.**

**Actually, I'm going to be a bit petty here for the sake of my pride. Could I pleeeease get a review? I know it's you're own choice and all, but with only two reviews 5 drabbles in, it makes me feel a bit down. Reviewing is still optional, always has and always will be, of course. The low number just makes me feel sort of sad. :'''D**

**Okay, sappy sob story moment over.**

**Hope you enjoyed, thanks for reading and do look forward to more~!**

**Angel-chan x**

**Ps. Reminder that suggestions are very much welcome. :3**


	6. The Gym Leader and the Detective pt2

**[Warning: Post game spoilers]**

Morning had came and went. In fact, the time had hit 1:30pm by the time the mysterious 'Essentia' had arrived.

"Are you Clemont?" she asked, making the boy jump and hit his head against the top of the wiring compartment, which he had began to clean up as he waited. Rubbing his head as he removed himself from the compartment, he stammered, "A-ah, yes, that's m-" He stopped, flabbergasted as he caught sight of the woman that'd come to meet him. Tall with graying blonde hair and surprisingly familiar blue eyes, she held out a hand to him.

"I'm Essentia. I'm sorry to have kept you waiting," she said, helping the gym leader to his feet. Clemont nodded.

"Ah, it's no problem. You must've been busy," he chuckled nervously. Essentia smiled, releasing his hand and asking, "Shall we get to work? Emma told me what you told her last night, but I'm afraid I can't do much without more details." The younger boy nodded again, "That makes sense. Alright, uh, what do you want to know?" The woman's eyebrow twitched up, though her smile had turned into an amused one.

"What had happened last night and what your trainers told you had happened would be nice. Pardon me for asking, but are you nervous?" The boy turned bright red, making the woman laugh.

"Oh don't be, just relax. Now, tell me what happened," she said. Clemont took off his glasses and began to clean them with a cloth he kept in his pocket. He purposefully kept his eyes away from the woman as he did this, telling her, "W-well, it happened during a gym battle I was having against a trainer..."

* * *

"I see." Essentia began to think over what she'd just been told. The gym leader pushed up his glasses and asked, "So do you think you can help?" She didn't answer immediatly, still thinking over the situation. Then she smiled.

"I think I can. Just leave this to me. Unless you want to help yourself?" she said, mouth curling up into a sly smile. Clemont chuckled nervously, shaking his head.

"No, it's okay. I think I'll leave it to you, since you're the expert an' all. Besides, I still need to work on repairing the tower's wiring." Essentia nodded, blue eyes understanding. She shrugged, "That makes sense. I wish you luck on that then, though I will keep you informed." She turned and began to walk away until she stopped and asked, "Actually, would you mind if Emma gave you any updates in person?" Though confused, the blond nodded.

"That shouldn't be a problem," he said, to which Essentia smiled. Nodding her head, she said, "Then I shall make this my leave then. Look out for Emma." This time, she turned and walked away, never turning back. She disappeared down an alley. Clemont scratched his head, curious about the woman and whether she could really get the job done.

"That was an...interesting meeting," he muttered, his cheeks turning a faint pink colour as he recalled what had happened. He didn't hear the quiet giggling coming from behind him, until Bonnie asked suddenly, "So what was that about?" This caused her brother to jump in surprise. Recovering from the shock he'd received, he frowned at his sister.

"You don't need to worry about that. Where's Shauna? Didn't I leave you with her while I worked on the tower?" Bonnie's cheeky little smile didn't fade as she answered, "She and her friend went to go get some galettes. Since Jaune Plaza is near to the tower, they let me come here to see you while they went to the stand. So, who was that?" Her partner Dedenne's head appeared out of her satchel and squeaked, "Dene ne~?", as though asking alongside the young girl.

"That's none of your concern," Clemont said, folding his arms and trying to appear the part of a serious older brother. However Bonnie wasn't phased. She giggled again and said, as Dedenne climbed out of her satchel and crawled up her clothing to perch on her head, "I think it is~. Especially if she can make you go all red faced like you did." Now aware that he'd been caught, his face once again turned a deep shade of red, making the smaller blonde laugh, Dedenne chattering along with her.

"This is so cute! You've got a crush on someone~!" Bonnie laughed as her poor brother tried to cover his face.

"When's Shauna gonna get here?" he muttered, hoping for the girl's swift return so she could take his sister off his hands. He still had to get back to work on the tower and he didn't need this sort of abuse. Then Bonnie asked, "So, do you think you'll meet he again? Will this become a serious thing?"

Never before had Clemont been so glad to have someone else take care of Bonnie, as much as he loved her. Therefore, the minute he saw Shauna and a ginger haired boy he could only assume was the friend Bonnie kept on mentioning coming up Autumnal Avenue, galettes in hand, he grabbed Bonnie's hand and dragged her over to the two, handing her over and telling Shauna, "Please just keep her for the rest of the day. I beg, please." And with that, he left a pouting Bonnie with the two, who stood confused at the request.

* * *

The sun was beginning to set, turning the sky a variety of pastel shades, when she showed up, just as he had decided to call it a day. He closed the compartment door, sighing at the amount of work he'd gotten through while also thinking of what still remained to be done, until he heard the sound of approaching footsteps, making him look up. Emma smiled down at him, hands behind her back.

"Been working hard?" she asked, holding out a hand to help him stand while keeping the other out of sight. The gym leader nodded, sighing again as he said, "It's taking a while, but I'm getting there. I may need help to fix the actual wiring though." Emma nodded, then asked, "Are you hungry? You must've stuck at your work all day." Clemont opened his mouth to answer, only for his stomach to answer for him, making him blush and scratch the back of his neck with embarrassment.

"Yeah, I uh...didn't really take a break." The girl giggled at his response, then produced a galette from behind her back, holding it out to the boy. He blinked, surprised at the gesture, then took it, nodded his thanks as he took a bite out of the pastry. Emma waited for him to finish before she spoke again.

"You know why I'm here. Other than to feed you, of course," she snickered. Rolling his eyes and adjusting his glasses, Clemont said, "Yeah, Essentia said you would give me updates on how her search for the missing pokémon is going." The dark haired girl nodded and said, "That's right. In fact, she wanted me to tell you that she may have found out who took the pokémon and where they're hiding." This made the boy blink, shocked.

"Really? That was fast." Emma shrugged, still smiling.

"What can I say, she works fast. That's how she's always been. I would like to say that she'll have the pokémon back by tomorrow, but knowing her, she may want to scope the place out tomorrow to check, then work either the day after tomorrow or overnight. Is that okay?" she asked. The gym leader nodded, surprisingly pleased with how this was turning out.

"That would be great. So long as the pokémon are returned safe and sound. I'm simply amazed she got this far progress-wise in just one day." This caused Emma to blush slightly, though the extra colour was gone from her face as soon as it had appeared. Instead, she said, "I'll let her know you're satisfied then. She likes hearing she's done a good job." Clemont chuckled, saying as he did, "A good job? No offence to Officer Jenny or her team, but this is a better job than they could ever do." The girl chuckled as well.

"I'll let her know you said that then. She hasn't got a problem with the police, but praise like that is nice every now and then." The two fell silent, unsure of what to say. She'd already passed on the news and he'd already thanked her. What more needed to be said? Emma coughed, curious about something, to which she asked, "Actually, where is your sister? Back home again tonight?" The boy shook his head, saying, "No, uh, I had a friend watch her today. And she herself actually got a friend of her own to help her watch Bonnie. Which is a relief, cause she would've gotten in the way of me working, as much as I know she only want to help. Plus..." He trailed off, cheeks turning bright pink as he recalled their encounter that afternoon.

"What? What happened?" The dark haired girl asked, blue eyes glittering with curiosity. His cheeks turned a little darker as he muttered something Emma couldn't catch.

"Huh? Come on, tell me! Who will I tell? Them lousy hooligans working back at the Bureau? Essentia? Come on!" The gym leader groaned as he sighed, "It's nothing really. Bonnie's just got it into her head that...well, me and Essentia could be a thing. I don't know what's up with her, but she's gotten into this weird habit of..." He trailed off as Emma burst out laughing.

"Aw, that sounds cute! Your sister's trying to hook you up!" Her laughter grew harder, until she was nearly doubled over, clutching her stomach. Clemont's face went from bright pink to bright red as he frowned, almost pouted even, and said, arms folded and face turned away, "It's not funny!" Emma's laughter faded into giggles as she asked, smirking, "What? Don't you think Essentia's cute?"

"She's too old for me! I-I'm not saying she isn't nice looking but..." He once again stopped as Emma began laughing again, actually beginning to become breathless from laughing. He sighed, rubbing his forehead and muttering, "I give up." It was at that moment that he saw Shauna and her friend approaching with a tired looking Bonnie on the latter's back. Emma also saw the trio approaching, and thus tried to calm herself down, reducing herself to quiet giggling and panting. Shauna ran up to the two.

"Hey, you done up here?" She asked, giving Emma a quick wave to acknowledge her presence before asking. Clemont nodded, saying, "I've done as much as I could for today. Thanks for looking after Bonnie. What did you do for the day?" The brunette nodded to her friend, who'd joined them by now, and said, "Me and Trevor took her to that skate park on Route 5 and I let her use my skates and we had some fun. Don't worry though we watched her the entire time, so she didn't get hurt." Trevor handed the girl, who was bordering on falling asleep, to her brother, who nodded his thanks. Then he turned to Emma.

"I should probably introduce you all. You guys, this is Emma. Emma, this is Shauna and her friend, who I'm afraid I don't know as well." The smaller boy took over his own introduction; "I'm Trevor." Emma simply waved as way of acknowledging the introductions. She smiled as she said, motioning to the now asleep girl in the blond's arms, "So this must be the little matchmaker, Bonnie." Clemont's response was a deadpanned, "You're not gonna drop that now are you?" with Emma's own response simply being a snicker. Shauna and Trevor shared a confused look, before Trevor looked to the time on his Holo Caster.

"It's getting late. I should head home," he said. Turning to Shauna again, he asked, "Will you be alright getting back to Vaniville Town?" The tanned girl shrugged, and said, "I should be, though I might have to get in touch with either Calem or Serena and hope they'll give me a lift." With that, the two began to walk away, with Shauna waving back and shouting over her shoulder, "See you tomorrow then! You too Emma!"

"We'll see!" Emma shouted back. With them out of sight, the gym leader said, "I should probably get this one home too." He turned and shifted Bonnie's position so he could pick up his backpack, only for Emma to beat him to it.

"I'll walk you there. I mean, you know where your house is and I don't, but I'll walk with you. Save you the trouble of carrying both your sister and your bag. Which by the way," she huffed, heaving the bag over her shoulder, "is really heavy."

"If you're insisting," the boy smiled, and the two walked off together, the still un-illuminated tower at their backs as they departed Centrico Plaza.

* * *

The next day passed with no news about Essentia's duties, though Emma did show up again, another galette in hand. This time, the boy was still working, so she helped him out, after pleading to offer her services - while also joking that it wouldn't be included in the end bill once Essentia had saved the pokémon.

The day after this, she returned with yet another galette, plus Mimi the Espurr, and some news.

"Essentia got the pokémon?" Clemont said with surprise, and with his mouth full, causing Emma to give him an unamused look. Noticing her frown and raised eyebrow, the boy quickly swallowed, muttering a quick "Sorry". The girl rolled her eyes and said, holding Mimi on her lap and giving the Espurr a light scratch by her neck, "Yep. Got 'em sitting in the Bureau. You can either bring your trainers to come pick 'em themselves, or I can get Nix and the girls to bring 'em to the tower."

"I think it'd be best to bring them here, if that's okay," he said, finishing his galette and turning to inspect the inner workings of the tower. He almost had it working now, he just had a few more wires to untangle and out back into their correct places. However, when Emma didn't respond, he couldn't help but glance her way. He was surprised to see her looking a bit down. Even Mimi could tell her friend wasn't quite herself, as the tiny creature squirmed in her lap.

"You alright?" Emma jumped slightly, snapped out of her minor funk. She just stared at the blond, making him a little nervous, until she smiled and said, "Yeah, I'm good. So, we'll bring the pokémon tomorrow?" While the boy couldn't help but feel her smile was a little forced, he nodded.

"I'll gather up the gym trainers and bring them here tomorrow. In fact, I might be able to finish the wiring issues tomorrow too. We'll be back in business sooner than I thought, which is a relief." He wanted to ignore that pained look in her eye, but it was hard. They didn't even know each other that well, but he couldn't help but feel as though they'd become decent enough friends within the span of the past four days.

"Yeah, you must have a fair few trainers waiting to challenge you. Including that one boy that led you to the Bureau in the first place. I wouldn't mind thanking him for doing that actually, it gave us a little business," Emma smiled. Clemont smiled as well, saying, "Same here. I wouldn't have found out about Essentia and the Bureau" - he wanted to add "and you, Emma" but he decided against that - "and I probably would've waited ages for the police to find the missing pokémon." Recalling his first, and only, meeting with Essentia, the boy remembered something, which he felt he needed to ask the girl sitting next to him.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" Emma nodded, releasing Mimi as she became even more restless. The Espurr cast a glance at the gym leader, making him feel uncomfortable again, before she ran off, yet not too far away from her partner.

"It's nothing important, just something that came to mind the other day when I first met Essentia. Are you two...related in some way?" he asked, looking a bit sheepish as he asked the question. Emma blinked, and for a moment he could've sworn he saw panic in her eyes, however he couldn't be sure, as she blinked once more and it was gone.

"No, not at all. She's just my employer. Why?" she asked, her expression neutral. Clemont could vaguely hear his sister nearby, and from what he could hear, she'd encountered Mimi. He ignored this however as he said, shrugging, "No reason. I just...it sounds stupid but your eyes look similar. That's it really." He coughed, looking away. Before Emma could say anything on the subject, Mimi rounded the corner, running straight for the girl. Following behind her was Bonnie.

"Ah," the girl said, coming to a stop by her brother and his new friend, who both got to their feet. She doubled over, panting, "I...I thought it was...a wild Espurr." Emma chuckled, "Nope. Mimi's my friend. She's not used to strangers though." Bonnie straightened up, her cheeks red from running after the Espurr.

"Where's Shauna? Wasn't she watching you? Or did she go and get another galette?" Clemont asked, to which Bonnie shook her head.

"Shauna's friend called her on her Holo Caster, so she had to go meet up with them. I told her I could come here on my own." Her brother sighed, "You shouldn't decide things like that. I'd rather if Shauna brought you here first then left to meet her friend." Bonnie pouted, rolling her eyes. Emma giggled.

"You can really tell you two are siblings," she laughed. This made the two blush slightly. Emma then bent down to Bonnie's level and said, "Actually, I have good news; my employer, who your brother asked to help you guys, found the missing pokémon." Bonnie gasped, face lighting up.

"Really? That's great!" Her brother smiled, and added, "Plus, I'm almost done with the wiring." Bonnie cheered, jumping in a circle around the two teens. Dedenne, who'd been sleeping in her satchel, poked its head out, confused.

"That's even better! We can re-open the gym now!" She laughed, taking the still confused pokémon out of her bag and spinning with it. The elder two watched the scene with amusement, until Emma said, "I should probably head back. Them lot'll be back from their patrol and they might spook your pokémon. I'll bring 'em round tomorrow." She started to walk away, but a call from the gym leader made her stop.

"Do you ever have a day off? Cause I wouldn't mind hanging out again." The girl paused, then smiled. Turning round, she called back, "I wouldn't mind either. I'm free weekends. But that could change at any time, being a detective's assistant an' all." The boy chuckled, before responding, "Fair enough. I'll meet you by the galette stand at 3 this Saturday."

"It's a date!" she shouted back, breaking out into a run. Such a response was on purpose, because when she glanced back, she couldn't help but laugh at his red face. And as she turned a corner and down an alleyway, she smiled as she heard him shout, "She is not my girlfriend!"

* * *

**Here, have some ship tease- I mean a drabble!**

**I'm so sorry, I didn't mean the ship tease. I swear! It just happened!**

**If it's any consolation, I now ship it, which sucks cause this pairing most likely doesn't exist yet. Like at all. So there will be jack on it.**

**Still, hope you all enjoyed.**

**Fun fact: The 'model', so to speak, that I used to represent Essentia is the Veteran (Female) model, except with blue eyes.**

**Thank you all for reading, and putting up with the ship tease. Please do fave, follow, review and suggest more things~!**

**Angel-chan x**

**Ps. Yes, I did include some anime things, like Bonnie's matchmaker tendencies. Because I like the XY anime. It helped further my love for the precious dorky siblings. -3-**


	7. The Grass Leaders Encounter

"Good to know Sinnoh's got consistent weather," Ramos muttered, tightening up the scarf he had tied around his neck. The reason for the old gym leader being in Sinnoh during an unfortunately cold summer was that the gardeners of Route 4's hedge mazes decided he needed a break. He always did a good job of helping them out with the hedge mazes, as well as running his gym, so they recommended he take a short break. It was also them that recommended Sinnoh - well, Wheaton specifically did, saying he'd been there before to visit his grandkids - as the region, though cold, was a fascinating place to visit, plus it would maybe even be warm enough if he visited during summer.

"Ah well. Nothing we can do if we got bad timing." Never one to be a pessimist about whatever situation he was placed in, Ramos put on a smile and began his journey through Mt Coronet, having started in Sunnyshore City after getting a plane into the region - another insistence of the gardeners, though Coumarine City's sailors were perfectly capable. His goal in particular was to reach Eterna City, as he wouldn't have minded meeting the gym leader there. Gardenia, a Grass-type specialist. He had, of course, brought his gym pokémon with him, as well as some extra pokémon he was caring for in the place of the Day Care.

"Heard she's a springy young thing," he said, to no-one in particular, what with the cave being devoid of human life and Gogoat being in its Poké Ball. As much as Ramos liked his partner's company, he also liked being alone to think at times. Besides, he was only passing through Mt Coronet, not over it. He chuckled as he emerged from the cave and looked over the city in front of him.

"Here's hopin' I can keep up with her," he said quietly, nodding. He began his descent from the cave entrance to the city.

* * *

She was just wrapping up a gym battle when he arrived at her gym. One poor, ill-prepared trainer stood, panic spread across his face as his Piplup received a beating from Gardenia's Roserade. A final magical leaf dashed the young trainer's hopes of getting the badge this time.

"Ah, Piplup!" he screamed, running onto the battlefield and cradling the beaten pokémon in his arms. Gardenia gave him a sympathetic look. She walked out onto the battlefield and held out a hand to help the boy to his feet, saying, "It was a good attempt, I'll give you that. But it looks like you'll need to get stronger if you want the badge."

"In that case, I'll be back! If you'll have me for a rematch," he said, to which Gardenia nodded, smiling, "Of course! I look forward to it!" As the boy ran to the exit, most likely to head to a Pokémon Center to heal up his Piplup and any other pokémon he may have on him, a woman Ramos could only assume was a gym trainer ran up to Gardenia and began whispering in her ear, nodding in Ramos' direction. When Gardenia nodded her thanks, the gym trainer turned and joined two other young woman standing by the sidelines while the gym leader ran over to the old man.

"Hey there! Angela said you came in during the match," she said, grabbing his hand and shaking rigorously, making Ramos chuckle with amusement.

_"Yep. Just as I thought; she's an energetic one,"_ he thought. Aloud, he said, once the woman relinquished his hand, "It's a pleasure to meet you. I was told to take a vacation and when I heard they had a Grass-type specialist in this here region, I figured it wouldn't hurt to visit." Gardenia clasped her hands together and beamed, smile stretching from ear to ear.

"That sounds smart! I'm glad to meet you! I've heard soooo much about Kalos and I've always wanted to visit but gym leader duties never made it possible," she laughed, scratching the back of her neck as she spoke. Ramos shook his head.

"Yeah, sometimes it's hard to catch a break. Can we sit? I'm not as young as I once was and I did walk the whole way here from Sunnyshore," he asked, motioning to a bench on the sidelines of her battlefield. Gardenia nodded frantically, shuffling along the old man while saying, "Of course of course, do sit! Would you like something to drink as well?" Ramos nodded, letting out a sigh of relief as he sat down.

"If you would be so kind, some tea would be _magnifique_," he murmured. Gardenia pointed at him several times, bouncing on the spot as her face lit up with recognition.

"I know what that means! Fantina uses that word a lot!" she squeaked. Then she paused, and ran off, saying, "Oh right tea!" Ramos shook his head, amused by the young woman's behaviour.

"Reminds me a lot of Korrina that one. Always so excited, always rushing about." He fell quiet, admiring his surroundings; the inside of the gym beyond the battlefield. It was like a jungle within the gym, trees towering over the field. The skylight above was only just visible between the vast canopy provided by said trees; meanwhile, at ground level, several plants grew, including the odd berry bush here and there. Ramos took in a deep breath, enjoying the peace of the gym, as the gym trainers had since left. He dug into his pocket and removed a Poké ball. Tossing it to the ground, Gogoat emerged in a flash of light.

"Ain't this place somethin', boy?" Ramos said, Gogoat whinnying in response as it sat down by the man's feet, resting its head on its partner's lap. The sound of a shaking teacup made Ramos look up as Gardenia ran toward him, clutching a saucer upon which a teacup sat. Surprisingly, from what Ramos could see at least, she hadn't spilled any of the tea, despite the speed she was running at.

"Your tea, sir!" she declared, holding out the saucer to him. He muttered a quiet "Thank ya kindly" as he took the cup and saucer, Gardenia then sitting next to him on the bench and turning her attentions to Gogoat.

"Is this your partner? Looks friendly," she giggled. Ramos set down the saucer beside him after taking a sip and smiled, patting Gogoat's head.

"Yep. This here's Gogoat. We've been partners for many, many years now. He's also one of the pokémon I use in my gym." Gardenia listened to the old man, fascinated.

"Really? Wow. Could you show me your other pokémon? If you brought them with you of course. I'll show you mine!" Without waiting for a response, she jumped to her feet and pulled three Poké Balls from her pockets. Tossing them into the air, three pokémon emerged from the balls; a Turtwig, a Cherrim and the Roserade Ramos had witnessed earlier from the battle. He nodded, admiring the pokémon Gardenia had in her possession. And judging from how she gushed as she introduced them, she was quite proud of them.

"They look strong," he said, with Gardenia puffing her chest out and saying proudly, "But of course! We train hard, don't we?" Her pokémon nodded in confirmation. Ramos smiled, then reached into his pockets and took out the five other pokémon he had with him.

"A deal's a deal then. I have two more pokémon I use fer gym battles; the extra three are some pokémon I'm caring for since the Day Care in Kalos is a tad overcrowded right now." Picking out his gym pokémon from the small pool of balls, he tossed them, releasing Weepinbell and Jumpluff for Gardenia to see. Immediately, the woman gasped, eyes shining as she observed the two Grass-types.

"Oh wow! You use these for gym battles? Bet you're no pushover, eh?" The old smiled, not only at the praise, but also at the girl's enthusiasm. Then, she asked, "What about those three? I know you said they weren't yours, but it wouldn't hurt to at least see them, even for a few seconds. Eh?" The younger gym leader's cheerful personality and 'powers of persuasion' made Ramos laugh.

"I don't see a problem with that at all," he chortled, picking up the balls and, one at a time, letting them out to show Gardenia. First was Skiddo.

"It's so cute!" she squealed, and as she looked it over, she noted, "It looks sort of similar to Gogoat. Is this is pre-evolution?" Ramos nodded, and he laughed again as Gardenia giggled with glee as the Skiddo trotted up to Gogoat and curled up next to it. Releasing the next one, he introduced it as a Chespin. Gardenia once more squealed with delight.

"Another little cutie!" Ramos nodded, then said, "This one'll be going to Professor Sycamore soon actually. Being one of the Kalos starter pokémon an' all." Gardenia bent down and smiled as she watched the Chespin approach her Turtwig and begin to play with it. Looking up at Ramos, she asked, "And the last one?"

"I'm getting to it, don't rush me," he told her sternly, though his voice indicated he was joking. Grabbing the last Poké Ball, he tossed it. A small, floating pumpkin appeared. Unlike the previous two pokémon, Gardenia's reaction was more reserved. If anything, she looked a little spooked.

"Uh... I-It's a cute pokémon, don't get me wrong, but I can't help but think it looks a bit...creepy," she said, skin looking pale now. The pumpkin pokémon chirped happily, circling the gym leader like a shark.

"Oh don't fret, dear. Pumpkaboo may be a Ghost/Grass type pokémon, but it's essentially 'armless." It was then that Gardenia, skin as white as paper, stood up sharply, surprising the older gym leader. She laughed nervously, looking a mixture of horrified and nervous as she backed away from the pokémon.

"A G-G-Ghost/G-Grass type? Aha, oh m-me. Ahahaha, o-oh Arce..." She couldn't finish her panicked stuttering however as she suddenly fainted, hitting the ground with a thud. Ramos whistled, amazed by what he'd just witnessed.

"Well I'll be, I wasn't expectin' that." Looking to Roserade, he asked, "Would you be so kind as to go fetch one o' them gym trainers I saw earlier? I'm afraid I don't know what to do here, assumin' this has happened before." Roserade nodded and walked off, leaving the gym leader alone. He shrugged, unaware of what to do as he'd just said. He picked up his cup of tea and took another sip, waiting for one of the gym trainers to show up as Pumpkaboo floated over to Gardenia, looking worried. Meanwhile, Chespin and Turtwig played on, ignorant of what had just occurred.

* * *

**Another drabble woohoo! And so quick too! The day after I posted the last one! :D**

**I'm especially happy with this because its the first request/suggestion drabble I've done, being suggested by _Tsukuyomi_ who said it'd be interesting to see Ramos introducing Gardenia to one of Kalos' Ghost/Grass type pokémon.**

**Thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed!**

**Please do review, fave, follow and, of course, suggest. Cause suggesting ideas helps me. :)**

**Angel-chan x**


	8. The Roller Skater on Ice

"I severely regret coming here today," Korrina deadpanned, holding herself tightly as she shivered from the cold, despite being wrapped up with several layers. Wulfric chortled as he slapped the petite blonde on the back playfully, almost causing her to collapse into the snow.

"Relax. Besides, this isn't even as cold as it gets in Snowbelle," he told her, blatantly ignoring the girl's overly hostile glare that was pointed right at him. He smiled, taking a deep breath in. Exhaling, he nodded as he looked over the frozen lake in front of him and Korrina.

"So," he said, joining his hands and rubbing them together as he turned to the girl, "you ready to try ice skating?" Korrina buried her face deeper into the scarf she wore around her neck and muttered, "Don't you mean am I ready to go home with a frozen butt?" Wulfric shook his head, though he was actually quite amused by the normally perky girl's current personality.

"Now, don't be so pessimistic," he chuckled, grabbing her arm and taking her over to the lake's edge. As he took the two pairs of ice skates off his shoulder and set them down, Korrin pouted and said, "Wulfric, I can't do this! I'm serious, I tried when I was younger! I can't skate!"

"That's ironic coming from you," the Ice-specialist laughed, causing Korrina to smack his arm and say, "I mean I can't ice skate!" Wulfric leaned closer to the blonde and tapped her bright red cheek, saying with a smile, "Still ironic." Korrina grumbled something he couldn't hear as she bent down and replaced her normal shoes with the ice skates. Standing up straight again, she snapped, legs quivering either from the cold or from having to balance on the thin blade of the skates, "Now what?"

"You wait for me to put on my skates, then we go on the ice," Wulfric chuckled. Korrina sighed, breath coming out in a white puff through the fabric of her scarf. She looked around the snowy landscape as she waited for Wulfric to finish putting his skates on. She saw a small group of about three or four Snover milling about a small distance away until an Abomasnow emerged from behind a snow and, calling the group over, to which they began to follow the pokémon, like that of children following their mother.

"Alright," Wulfric groaned as he got to his feet again, now wearing his own pair of ice skates, "there we go now. You ready?" Korrina turned away from the family of Grass/Ice types and folded her arms. Swinging her foot to kick at some snow, she asked, "Do I have a choice? Or are we too far gone now?"

"You're wearing the skates, aren't you?" the large man said, smiling. With that, he stepped onto the ice and held out his hand, inviting Korrina to join him. The blonde hesitated at first, greyish-green eyes glancing over the sheet of ice with uncertainty. When Wulfric twitched his hand with a slight air of impatience, Korrina sighed and took the hand, stepping onto the ice. The minute she did, one of her feet began to slip away from her, causing her to lunge for Wulfric's arm. She gripped the man's limb tightly, fear etched onto her face as her legs trembled. The man couldn't help but laugh at the display.

"You really surprise me, Korrina," he laughed, belly shaking with the effort. The girl squeaked and her grip tightened even more as she hissed, "Don't do that! Oh Arceus please!" Wulfric placed his hand over hers and, loosening her iron tight grip, told her, "You need to relax. And trust me. Okay?" Korrina nodded, though her expression was still a picture of absolute terror. Wulfric loosened her other hand and, with both her hands held in his own, he began to guide the younger gym leader slowly to the center of the ice, away from the safety of the shore.

"Loosen your legs, they're too stiff," the man told her. Korrina whimpered as her legs shook dangerously, threatening to collapse beneath her.

"Wulfric, I think I've changed my mind. Can we stop? Please?" she begged, clutching his hands like they were her only hope of staying alive. Which to her, they were. The man shook his head to Korrina's despair. He gave her frozen hands a reassuring squeeze as he told her, "Like I said, I need you to trust me. You do that, and I can promise you, you'll be as much a pro on the ice as you are on land." When Korrina's expression didn't change from its worried frown, he added, "Plus, I might even bake you some Persim Berry pie if you at least attempt to learn. If you can't do it, then fine. But at least you tried." Korrina's head instantly perked up, eyes shining with anticipation.

"Persim Berry pie? If I at least try and learn?" she repeated, wanting to make sure of what she would be working for. When the man nodded, Korrina's face lit up. She giggled, her feet shuffling on the spot to compensate for her inability to jump with glee, "Oh, you better not be kidding me here, old man! You know I'm serious when it comes to my Persim Berry desserts!" Laughing at her personality's sudden 180, Wulfric said, "Do I look as though I'm kidding?"

"Oh hell yes!" Korrina cheered, actively jumping into the air, only to then land not so gracefully onto her behind once her skates touched down on the ice again. Whinning at she rubbed her sore bottom, she muttered under her breath, "This better be worth it." Wulfric helped the girl to her feet again and continued to lead her around the lake.

By the time the day was done, she had fallen over 8 times and threatened to give up twice, saying the prospect of her favourite dessert wasn't enough to keep her going. And at the same time, while she still had a long way to go before she could be considered as good an ice skater as she was a roller skater, she could at least skate a little bit without Wulfric's help.

* * *

**This was going to be at least a little bit longer, with Wulfric's teachings being a bit more in-depth, but, like most of the drabbles I've produced so far, I wrote this in one day, and by the time I got back to it after leaving it alone for most of the day, it was late, I was (read: am) feeling tired, plus I've got a cold to top it off, so not feeling the best.**

**So I capped it off there. I might write a continuation of this later, not sure yet. Hope it was still okay though for what it is.**

**This was actually based on a headcanon of mine that I thought up: what if Korrina can't ice skate. It'd be ironic since she's a roller skater. I just thought, why not?**

**So, thank you for reading, please do leave a review, maybe a suggestion if you've got something you'd like to see, or alternatively, fave-ing and following are also indicators that people give a damn about what I'm writing.**

**Thank you!**

**Angel-chan x**


	9. Our New Partner

**[Note: Set pre-series]**

News from the dig site had come in; they'd found another fossil. And seeing as how he already owned another fossil pokémon, it made sense to tell him. As Grant prepared his backpack to go straight to the dig site - preferring to collect the fossil himself to deliver it to the lab in person - he picked up Tyrunt's Poké Ball and tossed it in his hand lightly.

"Another one for the team, boy," he said to the ball, giving it a small smile as it trembled in his hand. He was especially excited, as a gym leader position had just opened up, and with this extra pokémon, he could be in for a shot at the position. His friend, the gym leader of Lumiose City, had even put in a good word for him; the position was pretty much his. He just needed one more pokémon...

"Alright," he grunted, standing and throwing the backpack over onto his back, "that should do it." He gave Tyrunt's Poké Ball one last toss before he pocketed it and set out for the dig site at Glittering Cave.

* * *

"So wait, you're gonna leave your kid in charge of the gym while you decide to go off and travel?" Grant said. He'd made it to Ambrette Town and was about to make his way down Route 9 to the cave when his friend, the aforementioned Lumiose Gym Leader, called. The man on the other side of the phone chuckled dryly, "You make it sound like a bad idea. Look, I know it does sound a little crazy, but he's perfectly capable, I know it. He's my son after all. Besides, he's hardly the youngest gym leader in history." Grant sighed. It definitely did sound like a bad idea, but he couldn't argue his friend's judgement. Plus, he himself was still busy.

"Well, you seem pretty dead set on this. Look, I've got to head, the scientist is waiting with the fossil they found at Glittering Cave," he said, to which his friend responded, "Ah, that pokémon you got your eye on. Will it be part of your gym team?" Grant shook his head and said, "I'm not leader yet."

"But there's a good chance you've got the spot. Plus practically everyone in Cyllage wants you for the position as well." Grant checked his watch and grimaced at the time.

"Yeah, that's great. I really-" He was interrupted as his friend, hearing the urgency in the man's voice, laughed, "I know, I know, you got to go. That's my kids home from whatever they were doing anyway. See you." When the phone hung up, Grant couldn't help but muttered sarcastically as he pocketed the phone, "Ain't he just father of the year?" He walked onto Route 9 and up to the Rhyhorn carer, saying, "I have to get to Glittering Cave. How much to use your Rhyhorn to travel?"

"600 Pokédollars," the carer said. Grant grimaced again and said as he paid the amount, "That's a touch pricey for a quick trip." The carer added, "Plus return. But if you think that's pricey, then you'll be glad to here that I've got a side job helping out in Ambrette's aquarium. Might just make using Rhyhorn here on Route 9 free if the pay is good enough there."

"Here's hoping than, for the sake of everyone's wallets," the man chuckled, shaking his head as he mounted the Ground-type. The carer nodded, then gave his pokémon a quick pat on the head, signalling that it was to head out and take the man to his destination.

* * *

Rounding the final corner of the confusing cave system, Grant looked around the larger cave that he'd entered before walking up to a young female scientist near the entrance.

"Excuse me, I'm here about the fossil that was found," he said. The orange haired woman lowered her weird looking visor from her eyes to look at him, eyebrow raised. Replacing the visor over her eyes, she said, pointing down the corridor, "The scientist you're looking for is down there. Just keep going, it doesn't branch out." With that, she turned back to her clipboard, leaving Grant stading there awkwardly.

"Uh, thanks, I guess," he muttered, though the woman gave no indication she'd heard him. As he continued down the long corridor, turning several corners - though true to her word, the corridor didn't contain any additional paths like the initial portion of the cave - he found himself wondering what sort of pokémon this fossil would produce. He hoped at least one of its types, if it was duel typed, matched up with Tyrunt's. While having a gym with no set specialty wasn't unheard of, it also wasn't a common thing, and most gym leaders, except under special circumstances, were pretty much required to be single type specialists for the most part.

"Ah, Mister Grant." He was taken from his thought process as a scientist approached him. Taking the scientist's outstretched hand and shaking it, Grant smiled as the man continued, "It's a pleasure to see you. I hope your journey wasn't too difficult." He shook his head, saying, "Not at all."

"Good good. That's always good to hear. Ah, this way, please," the scientist said, motioning round another corner and leading the way. Around the corner was another scientist, holding a large lump of rock in his arms. This scientist shifted the rock till it was underneath his arm so he too could shake the newcomer's hand.

"Hello there, sir. I'm assuming you're the man here about the fossil?" Grant chuckled, "Unless someone else had their eye on it." The scientist chuckled himself as he handed the fossil over to the man, telling him, "Alright alright, fair enough. Now, I wish you a safe journey back to the labs, as well as many good times with whatever pokémon comes from this fossil. Do keep in touch to tell us how it grows." Grant nodded.

"Of course. Thank you." And as he turned to leave, the first of the two scientists called after him, "Good luck with the gym leader position as well!"

* * *

Back in the lab in Ambrette Town, he'd handed the fossil over to be revived and was now sitting waiting when a female scientist approached. Adjusting her glasses, she said, "Hello there mister Grant. Pleasure to meet you again." Standing, the man nodded, saying, "Yourself as well." The woman flicked through her clipboard before she settled on one page, then she said, "If it isn't too much trouble, while you're waiting, could I possibly see Tyrunt? Just as a quick check on how he's doing."

"It's no trouble at all," he said, taking the Poké Ball from his pocket and tossing it to the ground. The T-Rex pokémon yawned, growling as it did so.

"Excellent. He looks quite fit and healthy; you must be taking care of him." The man nodded, however before he could reply, the scientist behind the counter called his name.

"The fossil must be ready. You can leave Tyrunt with me while you collect it," the woman smiled. Grant gave her his thanks before he turned and walked to the counter, which he was ushered bashing and into the back room. Sitting on a table in the center of the dark room was a sleeping pokémon.

"I've done checks of all currently known fossil pokémon and it doesn't match up, so I did some digging with our database; this is Amaura, a Rock/Ice type pokémon." The scientist gave the pokémon - Amaura - a scratch near one of the sail like structures on top of its head, awakening it. It crooned at his touch, then focused on the newcomer. Stretching out its long neck, it sniffed the air curiously in Grant's direction. After a nod from the scientist, the man held out his hand which the pokémon, after sniffing some more, burrowed its head into it, crooning some more.

"I think it likes you." Grant looked at the scientist, who began digging around in his pocket. He pulled his hand out and gave Grant what he'd found; a Poké Ball.

"Thank you very much," the man said, clutching the ball while Amaura looked the Poké Ball over curiously. After Grant motioned to it, the pokémon got to its feet, shakily at first. However it steadied itself and, after jumping down from the table, began to follow its new partner out of the room.

"So, I see we may just have a Rock Gym Leader in Cyllage, eh?" The scientist said, looking enthusiastic. The man sighed, scratching his head as he said, sounding slightly frustrated, "It's not been confirmed yet. As much as I do want the position and as much as I know I'm gonna get it, I'd still rather not chance it." The scientist shrugged.

"Either way, whether you get it or not, Amaura's got you pegged as a Rock specialist either way. And, just to note, if you do become Gym Leader, its interesting knowing you'll be the first known Rock Gym Leader that doesn't use a Geodude." Grant's eyebrow rose, confused.

"Why is that significant?" he sighed. He didn't receive an answer. As the two plus the pokémon stepped out into the main room again, Tyrunt noticed his partner re-emerge and ran over to him, leaving the female scientist to write down whatever she'd been investigating about him in her clipboard. The Rock/Dragon type rubbed its head against Grant's leg affectionately, until it noticed the curious little pokémon that had come with his partner, now staring at him.

"Tyrunt," Grant said, bending down next to his partner and placing a hand each on both their heads, "this is Amaura. He's part of our team now." Tyrunt and Amaura stared at each other, until the latter chirped happily, causing Tyrunt to growl and look away. When Amaura's face fell, Grant sighed at his pokémon's behaviour.

"I don't know what to do with him sometimes," he muttered as he stood again, taking out their Poké Balls and recalling the two into them. He collected his backpack and, once again thanking the scientists for all their help, set out for Cyllage City, where hopefully, he would get a call about a particular position he had his hopes on getting.

* * *

**Another quick drabble! Yay!**

**So _Tipsy Trickster_ wanted a drabble about Grant. I will admit, some of the currently in progress drabbles I'm working on contain Grant, but it's not that easy to write him. I've just been having trouble writing a drabble with him. So, having said that, I'd also like to thank a friend of mine on LiveJournal for the idea behind this. She suggested a fossil dig of sorts and this is what come from that.**

**Also, I would like to note that the thing about Grant's friend, the Lumiose gym leader; that's Clemont and Bonnie's father. I have an idea for a story, whether its part of this drabble collection or a separate thing entirely, that explains that conversation further. The whole 'Making my son a gym leader in my stead' thing. But I'm sort of holding off on doing that. Just for a little while.**

**At the very least till episode 9 of the anime comes out, cause its hinted that their father appears in that and since they don't have a father shown in game, he's the closest to a canon relative of theirs that I've got, and I'd rather use a canon character - from the anime, manga or the games - than make up my own.**

**So, rambling aside, I hope you enjoyed reading. Please do review, suggest, fave and follow.**

**Thank you!**

**Angel-chan x**

**Ps. Thank you to _Tipsy Trickster_ and _Floracat_ for reviewing last night/yesterday. I will admit, the lack of reviews does get me down a bit, though all the faves and follows do make up for it, but getting two reviews in one night really made me happy. So extra thank you!**

**Pps. Free cookie to anyone who can guess who that first female scientist is. The one Grant meets in Glittering Cave, I mean. As little description as there is, I'm sure you can tell who it is. ;)**


	10. Save Our School! Cookie Chaos

The smell of fresh cookies perplexed Alexa as she stepped inside her sister's home in Santalune City.

"Um... Viola?" she called out, taking her bag containing her camera headset and everything else she needed for her job in it off and sitting it on the sofa.

"Oh Alexa," Viola herself called, realising her sister was in the house. The sound of footsteps turned Alexa's attention to the back of the living room where the door to the kitchen stood, and she found her self staring at her younger sister, now covered in blotches of flour and with noticeable egg stain on her left thigh.

"I wasn't expecting you this early," the woman chuckled, grabbing a cloth from the counter and using it to clean her hands before holding out an arm to give her sister a one armed hug. Alexa laughed herself, "Well, my flight back from Hoenn came in early. Now what's going on?"

"We're making cookies!" The women turned back to the kitchen door; Bonnie smiled back, holding a small tub filled with the small biscuits and in a similar, floury state as Viola.

"Well hey you," Alexa chuckled, walking over and ruffling the young girl's hair, making her giggle, "Where's your brother? Is the tower needing work again?" Viola answered for Bonnie, "Actually, he's helping as well; just stepped out to the store to get more ingredients. We've been baking all morning."

"Fair enough. Now why exactly are you making cookies?" Viola motioned for Bonnie to go back into the kitchen and said to her sister, "We're going to sell them. The trainer school here needs fixing up and since its the only trainer school in the Kalos region, some of the people of the city wanted to help raise funds to get it fixed. Cause if it doesn't, the League says they're gonna sell it off to some guy that'll convert it into a hotel." Alexa frowned.

"Can they do that?" she asked, sounding worried. Her sister sighed, nodding.

"Unfortunately. We've got today and tomorrow to make 500,000 Pokédollars to pay for the repairs and any touch ups, or it's gone." The elder blonde sighed herself, shaking her head.

"That sounds awful. I'd offer to do a piece on it, get it some recognition, but like you said, you only have today and tomorrow to raise the money and I'm backed up on projects as it is. Plus I don't think I could get the permission from my editor to do the piece as well as put some of my other articles on hold in enough time." Viola shrugged, giving Alexa a smile.

"It's the thought that counts, sis. Thanks." The two made their way into the kitchen, where Bonnie was standing, staring into the oven at the latest batch the two had made. The small egg timer sitting on the counter went off, prompting the girl to step back as Viola grabbed her oven gloves and opened the door, pulling out the cookies. Alexa, realising something, then asked, "Actually, you said Clemont was helping out as well. Why?"

"Ah, that's right. He attended the school when he was younger. I told him about what was going on yesterday when he was bringing Bonnie here to her first set of classes yesterday," Viola said, with Bonnie pitching in, "We wanted to help out. Plus Korrina's helping as well!"

"Korrina attended the school too?" Alexa said, surprised. Her sister nodded, saying as she began cleaning their equipment for the next batch, "Yeah, she did. She comes round every hour or so to pick up each batch and take them around the region to sell them. She's pretty quick about it thanks to her skates, plus she's also gotten some of her gym trainers to help out too." Alexa couldn't help but smile at all the effort they'd went to, chuckling, "You've got quite a system going on here. So, how much have you raised so far?" Viola shrugged.

"I'm afraid I'm not sure; Korrina keeps the money on her. I'll ask her when she comes to pick up the next batch." At that moment, the front door opened again, and Clemont called out, "I'm back!" Bonnie ran out of the kitchen to greet her brother while Viola called back, "Great. Just in time." The boy made his appearance being dragged by his sister.

"Oh, hey Alexa," he said, noticing the woman. The blonde chuckled as she saw that his jumpsuit was also covered in the tell-tale signs of having been in a war of the kitchen.

"Hey Clemont," she responded. Viola turned to her sister and asked, "Don't you need to get back to your work?" Alexa rolled her eyes as she asked, a hint of amusement in her voice, "Why? Trying to get rid of me? What if I want to help?" Viola's eyebrow twitched up in disbelief as she said, still smiling, "No offence sis, but I'd rather not. Cause if I remember correctly, last time you tried to cook something, your curtains went up in flames." Alexa's face turned red as she remembered the incident Viola had mentioned, making Bonnie giggle. Her brother coughed as he emptied the contents of the bag he'd brought with him, though his facial expression betrayed the fact that he was also quite amused by this new information.

"So is that a no to my help?" Alexa said, to which Viola shrugged. The blonde laughed, "If you want to help then fine, but if any of these come out bad, you're taking them to your offices and selling them off to your workmates." This garnered the sarcastic response of, "Oh but if my cooking's as bad as you say it is, then they might get food poisoning, and I sort of need them y'know. My editor does too." Viola simply snickered herself as Alexa grabbed a spare apron that was hanging near the door, muttering, "Since none of you seem willing to wear one."

"Well, you do suit it better," Viola muttered back, taking in the bright pink sheet of plastic, especially admiring the white daisies dotted on it.

"Didn't mom get you this apron?" Alexa asked, grabbing the spare bowl sitting off the side and taking the ingredients Viola handed to her. Her sister grimaced, chuckling nervously, "Yeah. But its a little bit..." She trailed off, then said, "Don't tell her I don't use it. Please." Alexa smiled and winked at her sister, tapping her nose and ultimately getting flour on it, which made the younger woman burst out laughing, followed swiftly by the Lumiose siblings, who were working with their own mixture. Alexa, initially confused, picked up a small metal spoon sitting on the counter and, seeing her reflection, chuckled dryly, "Okay, I get it."

"Whoa, did I miss something?" The four blondes turned to the kitchen door; Korrina stood there, looking confused.

"Ah, we didn't hear you come in," Viola giggled, picking up the tub of cookies and handing it to the skater. Taking the tub she already had off her, the gym leader then filled it up with the still warm cookies sitting on the cooling rack, giving it back to Korrina, who said, "So, you working hard?"

"Yep, and we've got Alexa involved, at the risk of possibly having a few bad ones in the next batch." Alexa proceeded to point her wooden spoon, mixture dripping off of it, at her sister and say with a slightly annoyed expression, "One more jab at my cooking skills and I might just ruin them on purpose." As Viola motioned for Alexa to get back to work, Korrina turned away and into the living room as her Holo Caster went off.

"Bonnie, be careful, that's a bit much," Clemont warned as Bonnie, sitting on the counter now, poured flour into the bowl. Alexa chuckled, "Yep, neither of you really need anymore flour on yourselves." This made the boy sigh as he ran a hand through his hair, muttering, "We're gonna have some fun times tonight when we try and wash this stuff off." Korrina re-entered the kitchen, beaming.

"That was Rolanda, one of the gym trainers I got helping out. She's just finished selling off the cookies I gave her in Dendemille Town, taking our total sold up to 20,000 Pokédollars!" Viola blinked, shocked.

"Eh? We've made that much in a few hours?" She exclaimed. Bonnie cheered with excitement, kicking her feet against the cupboard underneath her while her brother adjusted his glasses, muttering, "Incredible." Alexa smiled.

"That's pretty impressive," she said. Then, seeing her fellow bakers were still in shock, she clapped her hands and said, "In that case, we should get back to work to build on that amount. You told me yourself Viola that you only have today and tomorrow, and we've still got a lot of money to raise."

"R-right! Korrina, you better get going too," Viola said, getting back into action. Korrina saluted the woman, the tubs of cookies under her arm before she skated on out of the house. The woman then hurried to Alexa's side, helping her to put the mixture onto the tray before also helping the younger siblings.

That day alone, they raised nearly 290,000 Pokédollars. A bit pricey for a couple of cookies, but the kindness of strangers was an interesting thing. Though what they would do the next day had to be just as interesting; people would be a bit sick of cookies by that point.

* * *

**New drabble~! Here you go, the free cookies I promised!**

**First off, yes, the scientist from last drabble was Aliana. Working undercover and shiz.**

**Second, I know that ending ain't much, but I didn't want to go on a ramble rampage. So I called it there.**

**However, I'm also aware that an ending like that could easily call for a part 2, saying what they did the next day to raise money. Alternatively tho, I could skip the next day, with them earning the money they need and do instead a continuation, showing the repairs in progress, or the re-opening of the school with the repairs done. But I don't know what to do.**

**I will admit, if I don't do the part 2 route, I could easily hold off the continuation for a few drabbles, then write and post it. Especially since I've still got a request in progress for _RosaMeiWhite2_, which will most likely be coming soon.**

**Speaking of which, I would like to thank _Tipsy Trickster_, _Floracat_, _RosaMeiWhite2_ and _SD Productions_ for reviewing, it honestly does mean a lot.**

**With all the rambling out the way, thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed. Please do review, fave and follow, and suggestions for any gym leaders you'd like to see would be fabulous, as well as any situations for drabbles.**

**Thank you once more!**

**Angel-chan x**


	11. Showtime! Home Sweet Home

Valerie took in a deep breath, then released it again with a wide grin on her face. It'd taken quite a bit of travelling, so much so that the sun was beginning to set, but she was here at last, even if only for a dreadfully short week; Ecruteak City. Home. Collecting up her rather extensive group of suitcases, she entered the city, staring up at the Bell Tower, casting a long dark shadow over the city as the sun set behind it. Whether just from the magnificent sight or from some sort of nostalgia from not having seen said sight in a year at most, Valerie couldn't help but feel breathless.

"Some things never truly change. Yet some things still manage to amaze," she murmured, to no-one in particular. She then giggled and broke into a run as she continued to her parents' home, throwing in a twirl as she ran.

* * *

That night, after having left her bags in her old room and settling down for some hours to tell her parents about the Kalos region, the woman was out in the streets, admiring everything about the city that she'd missed. Even things she didn't think she would, like the Burned Tower, being a sign of an incredibly depressing moment in the city's history. Valerie couldn't help but smile as she saw a small group of trainers hanging around the Pokémon Center, and from what she could hear of their conversation, they'd been beaten pretty badly that day by the gym leader.

"I still say we should get an Eevee and evolve it into an Umbreon," one boy said, with his friend huffing, "But where do we get an Eevee in the first place, genius? They're rare, dude! And besides, I still say we get an Espeon if we do find one."

"How would that help? It's a Ghost gym!" The gym leader giggled as their argument grew louder, catching the attention of others walking on the street. She sped on past the Center, trying not to get caught staring. As she turned the corner by the building, she gasped, catching sight of a building she hadn't seen in years; the Dance Theatre.

"Oh my," she breathed, clasping her hands in excitement as she took in the building; it'd been touched up since she'd last seen it. New roof tiles and a touch of paint. Then she couldn't help but squeal with glee and bounce with joy as she saw people entering.

"Is there a show on? Ooh, I have to see it! It's been so long!" Running forward and digging out her purse as she did so, she joined the queue of people - though small yet controlled crowd would've sufficed as a better description.

"One please," she requested to the ticket salesman, trying to remain calm and be mature despite her true feelings. Once handed her ticket though, she did let out a small squeak, earning her an odd look from the salesman. Finding her spot in the audience, she told herself to calm down and act her age, especially seeing as how to show was still to actually start. Valerie looked around the hall; it too had been fixed up like the exterior, from what she could remember from faded memories of coming to see the Kimono Girls as a young child. A man sat next to her, however she was too absorbed in the curtains of the stage; she could've sworn the Dratini embroidered onto them were done in a plain red thread in her youth. Now, a shimmering gold shone back at her.

"Wow," she whispered, captivated by even the tiniest details within the curtains. The man next to her chuckled.

"You seem excited," he said, catching Valerie's attention. Her head swung round to look at him. He seemed familiar, with his blonde hair and that purple scarf. Not in the sense that they'd actually met, but more in that she'd seen him before, of that she was sure. Smiling nervously, she lifted her hand and began to twirl a strand of hair around a single slender finger.

"I am. It's been years since I've seen the Kimono Girls dancing, especially so since this is my first time home in a year," she said, laughing quietly. The man's eyebrow rose, intrigued. He leaned forward slightly and asked, "And where were you for a year, if you don't mind me asking." Valerie, though confused at the man's curiosity, smiled and nodded.

"I don't mind. I've been living in the Kalos region actually. For a good few years now. I come home to visit my parents every so often, but this year's been pretty busy, especially for the League. Lots of trainers and such." The eyebrow arched again, and he said, "You're a gym leader?" Valerie nodded again.

"Yes. That's a long story all on its own, but I am a gym leader," she said smiling. To her surprise, the man burst out laughing, though he kept it as quiet as he could considering the location.

"What a coincidence," he laughed. Holding out a hand, he said, "I'm Morty, also a gym leader. Of this city in fact." Valerie blinked, realisation spreading on her face.

"Ah! I was wondering how I recognised you," she said, laughing herself. Taking his hand, she added, "It's a pleasure to meet you then. And I do mean it." Grinning, Morty said, "Likewise. And if you don't mind me asking another question, would you happen to be the elusive Fairy-type gym leader?"

"I...I am. But how did you...?" Valerie trailed off, surprised that he knew that. Chuckling, the blond said, smiling sheepishly, "Whitney won't stop going on about you, as well as the new type they discovered. She hasn't been to the Kalos region - yet, though she's booked a plane and is currently arguing with the League about giving her a holiday. Maybe even as we speak, knowing her - but she is fascinated by the place. Hate to point this out considering this is our first meeting, but I can't help but feel as though I already know so much about you." This last sentence came out with a touch of sarcasm lacing the words, making Valerie laugh.

"I'm afraid I can't return the sentiments." Just then, the lights dimmed down, signalling the beginning of the show. Valerie gasped, eyes shinning as the stage was illuminated by overhead spotlights and the curtains began to part. Morty smiled, amused by the woman's actions. He leaned back in his seat, but not before muttering to Valerie, "I'll shut up now, let you watch the show. But I wouldn't mind asking later if its as you remember it." The woman could only cast his a quick glance before her attention was completely taken by the stage as the first Kimono dancer stepped on, attire shimmering under the glow of the lights.

* * *

**A new drabble omgee.**

**I'm getting good at this 'Writing then posting and not leaving people waiting for too long' thing. Cause normally, I'm not very good at it, shock horror.**

**But hey, I'm still on a massive _Pokémon_ high, and I absolutely adore the Kalos gym leaders, so why not write about them. And why not try and do a good job.**

**I'm still working on that one request. I'm sorry to say its taking a while due to minor Writer's Block, but I got a good chunk of it down today. I say a good chunk, cause it is a drabble and drabbles aren't ever meant to be massive.**

**I hope you guys enjoyed this drabble. Figured I'd write one about Valerie, cause I like her, and it's nice to expand on any little backgrounds or headcanons you've got about characters.**

**Thank you for reading, do drop a review if you'd like. Suggestions are nice too, as well as faves and follows.**

**I shall see you all next time!**

**Angel-chan x**


	12. Fire and Water

**[A/N: Not quite gym leaders, but they were requested.]**

They were a lot like the types they specialised in. Sometimes, a bit too much like them.

"I dare you to say that again," Malva hissed, her Pyroar growling beside her. Siebold sighed, though his irritation was clear in the tightness of his posture.

"Really? And here I though you had a problem with your eyes and not your ears." From the sidelines, Drasna watched the two worriedly.

"Oh my. They both seem really upset today," she muttered to herself. Turning around, she contemplated fetching Wikstrom from the Ironworks Chamber so he could attempt to calm them both. On the other hand, she wondered, looking to the large doors at the north of the hall, should she just go straight to the champion to sort the problem?

"You truly are insufferable. I can't be dealing with you today," Malva snapped, turning sharply on her heel and leaving the League hall. Drasna ran forward slightly and called out, "Malva, where are you going?"

"Anywhere but here!" came the sharp reply as the door shut behind the woman. The sound of footsteps and another door opening made Drasna turn around; Siebold entered into his own chamber without a word, though the woman did try to call after him as well. The woman sighed.

"Neither of them are in a good mood today," she murmured. She sighed again, "Oh dear."

* * *

STAB

"Stupid Siebold," Malva growled, shoving the forkful of food that she'd violently skewered into her mouth.

STAB

"Oh how I'd love to watch him and his fancy clothes go up in smoke one of these days." The diminutive Passho Berry hanging off her fork slipped off, bouncing off the table completely. Pyroar, still outside of her Poké Ball, shot forward and licked up the berry. Malva scowled at her pokémon, receiving a similar look from the lion in return. Throwing herself back against the chair, she let out a huff of air, still feeling very irritated after the altercation back at the League Hall.

"He thinks he knows what he's talking about all the time, when really, it's all just gibberish," she muttered to herself, Pyroar having given up on her partner by now and choosing to ignore the human on purpose. A waiter walked by, picking up her plate that had contained her starter. Grabbing her iced tea by the rim of the glass, the elite four member took a delicate sip from the straw, though her lips were still pressed thin with frustration.

"How long does it take a chef to fry a fish?" she muttered, foot tapping the air impatiently, "I could do it myself in about half this time." Glancing around at the street the café was situated in, she watched as tourists fluttered from shop to shop, chattering excitedly in their native tongues as small children ran around, getting under people's feet. She clicked her tongue at the sight, before her gaze drifted to Prism Tower, standing tall in the center of the city. She liked Prism Tower, especially at night; it was almost like a beacon, recognisable the region over. A symbol for the city, maybe the region as a whole.

"Madame." Malva was jostled from her thoughts as a waiter placed a plate of fried Magikarp in front of her. She nodded her thanks and picked up her fork as the young man give a small bow and began to walk away. However, when she took a bite out of the fish pokémon, she stopped chewing with surprise as a spicy sensation engulfed her tongue. Swallowing quickly, she called back the waiter before he could re-enter the café.

"Excuse me, my Magikarp is...well, it tastes different to what you usually serve here," she said. The waiter nodded.

"Yes, well, the chef received a call from a friend of his, asking to cook the Magikarp like this for yourself. He requested this as well as giving a message," he said, reaching into his pocket and giving the woman a hastily written note; no doubt jotted down by the chef himself, rushed off his feet as he prepared order after order simultaneously. Taking it, Malva frowned, feeling a wave of guilt and frustration rush over her as she read it, 'Since you always seem to refuse to apologise first whenever we get into our little spats, allow me to do so instead, offering you your favourite serving of the meal you ordered in return.' She resisted the urge to crush the paper in her hand as she sighed.

"Of course," she muttered. The waiter frowned and asked, "Is there something wrong with the food? I could return it and get you what you ordered." As he reached for the plate, Malva's hand shot out and grabbed his wrist, making the man jump with fright. His skin paled as the woman muttered darkly, "You touch my food, I will have you fired immediatly." She released him then, after a moment's awkward silence, she coughed and said, with a little more restraint, "The food is fine, thank you. You may go." The waiter nodded, still frightened of the elite four member. He shuffled off, head down as he re-entered the restaurant. Malva sighed again.

"What am I going to do with him?" she murmured, scraping the lettuce the Magikarp sat on together into a single pile with her fork before she finally took another piece into her mouth.

"I was thinking the same about you," a voice said behind her, making the woman jump, nearly chocking on her food with surprise. Whipping round, she growled as her cheeks turned red at being found; Siebold took a sip from his coffee mug, ignorant of Malva's fiery espression.

"What are you doing here?" Malva hissed, to which Siebold turned around so he was facing her and said, "You always come here after an argument with anyone. Might I suggest being a bit different in future, especially if you'd rather not be found." The pink haired woman growled, unable to respond. The man continued, "Besides, I wanted to know if you were enjoying your food." She didn't reply immediatly. Siebold turned back to his coffee and took another sip as he admired the newly trimmed Furfrou making their way out of Friseur Furfrou with their trainers. He had to strain his ears to hear her words as she'd turned her back to him again.

"It's quite tasty. Nothing you'd eat, but it isn't to your taste," she said, inserting another piece of Magikarp into her mouth. The man smiled.

"You're such a stubborn one," he muttered. Malva took a sip of her iced tea before muttering in return, "You're one to talk."

* * *

**I'm sorry this took me a while, I got hit with minor writer's block, plus this was my first time writing the Elite Four.**

**So, like the pre-story A/Ns say (I don't usually do those, only if its something major I need to mention, and I always keep them short. Literally a sentence), these aren't gym leaders, but they were requested; having said that, this is for _RosaMeiWhite2_, who requested the elite four, preferably with Malva and Siebold, if I remember correctly.**

**I have a few suggestions now coming in, which makes me so happy. However there is one thing I would like to point out which is unfortunate.**

**Some drabbles I have in progress and one or two requests feature Unova gym leaders. I have not yet played the GenV games, though I have asked my parents for Black for my Christmas. I'm not entirely comfortable writing about characters I haven't yet had the chance to meet firsthand. Which is why, if you would all be so kind to accept, I would like to hold off till after I've played at least a little bit of Black before I do anything with the Unova gym leaders. If push comes to shove though, I may watch anime episodes so I can get basic characterisations.**

**Speaking of Christmas as well, I also have a plan to write a Christmas related drabble. It may take some time and I'm not sure if I'll just write one big massive drabble chapter or split it into parts like I did with the fifth drabble. Either way, I hope you will all look forward to that.**

**Thank you for reading as always, as for putting up with these long A/Ns. I do like to talk lol. :'''D**

**Please do feel free to review, fave and follow, as well as suggest. You can leave suggestions containing Unova leaders, just be aware it might not happen for a while. At least till next year.**

**Thank you once more!**

**Angel-chan x**


	13. Sibling Issues

Seeing the two siblings blatantly ignoring each other, eerily similar looks of frustration on their faces, Alexa couldn't help but reach for her Holo Caster to call her own sister.

"Viola? Hi, are you busy? Cause I think we're needed," she said.

* * *

After getting buzzed into the apartment building, the two sisters made their way up the stairs, Viola saying as they made their way, "And you're sure they need our help? As the, as you and Korrina often put it, the older set of siblings?" Alexa nodded.

"Trust me, Vi. You did not see them today. And I don't think anyone's seen them like how I saw them." The younger sister arched one of her eyebrows as she asked, "But they weren't screaming at each other?"

"Oh I don't think even they're like that. They've had a falling out, but I doubt they were at each other's throats. Not that I can confirm this considering I've seen them after the argument, but I'd like to think we know them well enough to know they're not like that." Reaching the floor of the apartment they were look for, the older sister knocked on the door at the end of the hall.

"I am sort of hoping that you're right about this and not just exaggerating," Viola muttered quickly as they heard footsteps approaching the door. Alexa could only give her sister a quick wink before the door opened.

"Alexa? Viola?" Clemont said, surprised to see the two woman standing at the door. Behind him, Bonnie sat, slouched over the arm of the couch as far from her brother as possible, watching the tv. Upon hearing the arrival of guests however, she straightened up and reached for the remote to pause the television.

"We figured we'd drop by," Alexa said, explaining their appearance as though the boy had actually asked why they were there. Viola nodded besides her, saying, "Yeah, we thought we'd come over and have a chat. Is that okay?" Clemont nodded, though he still looked quite confused. Nevertheless, he stepped aside to let the older women in to the apartment. Bonnie watched curiously as the two entered, though her face broke into a smile when Viola joined her on the couch.

"Hey there. How're your classes at the Trainer School going?" She asked. The young girl's smiled widened as she said, "Great! I'm learning so much!" The elder siblings watched as the two interacted, until Alexa turned to the boy and asked, "Say, I actually remembered, I need to talk to you about something."

"Oh. Okay then. Is it for your magazine?" Clemont asked, however Alexa shook her head.

"No no, it's something different. Could we go somewhere private?" The gym leader's eyebrow cocked upwards in curiosity, only to then furrow with annoyance as he heard Bonnie go "Ooooh" silently from the couch until Viola shushed her.

"My room is just across the hall, if that's private enough," he said. Alexa chuckled, "Lead the way then." And as they left the room, Alexa glanced back at her sister and nodded, which Viola returned, leaving Bonnie confused as she looked between the two. The sound of the door closing, and Viola let out a sigh, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees, hands clasped and chin pressed against them.

"How to start," she muttered. The young girl sitting next to her frowned.

"Viola, is something wrong? Why does Alexa want to talk to Clemont?" Sitting up straight again, the gym leader gave the girl a smile.

"Nothing is wrong. But there was something wrong earlier today, wasn't there? Between you and your brother?" Instantly, Bonnie's face flushed and she pouted, looking away. Viola nodded slowly.

"I see. What happened?" The girl shuffled in her seat, looking slightly frustrated as she said, folding her arms, "Clemont was being silly." One of Viola's eyebrows arched.

"How so?" Bonnie whipped her head to look up at the woman as she said, "Because he won't admit he and this friend of his are a total thing!" This simply left Viola confused. Smiling, though not without clear confusion on her face, she asked, "And who is this friend? And why would they be a thing?" Bonnie pursed her lips as she tried to recall some details, then said, "His friend is a girl called Emma. It was a month back now that they met. There was an incident where someone messed with the tower's lighting to steal some of the gym trainers' pokémon. The trainer that was battling Clemont that day pointed out a woman that could help. Emma's the woman's helper, I can't remember what role exactly. But she and Clemont hang out a lot, even after her boss found the missing pokémon."

"I see. And you think they should be a thing because of this?" A nod from the girl made Viola chuckle. Shaking her head, she said, "You do realise that a boy and a girl can just be friends right? Even if they hang out a lot. In fact, I remember two trainers from Vaniville Town that challenged me a while back that are exactly like that." Bonnie pouted again and countered, "But you don't see them! She is clearly flirting with him and he goes all red faced because of it!" The gym leader rolled her eyes.

"Sometimes girls just like to tease. It can be the other way round too for some friendships. Look," she said, putting an arm around the girl as she began looking quite upset, "I know you just want to find someone your brother can be happy with" - 'What with your own lack of a mother,' She couldn't help but think solemnly, though this remained an unspoken thought, especially as she had no right to delve into personal matter, even as a close friend of the family - "but don't you think he should find that person on his own?"

"Viola," Bonnie started, her expression and tone as matter-of-fact as possible, "you and I both know he's too hopeless for something like that." Viola nodded, muttering, "True, true." Giving the girl a squeeze, she smiled once more, "Well, it would still be smart to leave your brother alone on the matter. And don't you worry, I'll watch out for him; if push comes to shove, I'll give him a nudge in the right direction." This made Bonnie smile, and she even giggled as Viola got to her feet and asked, "Now where's you guys' stash of sweets? I feel like a Sweet Heart or two."

* * *

Alexa was quite fascinated by the young boy's room; sitting on his desk were several pieces of what she could only assume had once been a toaster, or maybe a microwave - or maybe it was just simply something he himself was building and it only resembled a toaster or a microwave - while on a table right next to the desk, there looked to be a control board with many of its pieces removed and scattered around it. And in the corner of the room was a box filled with parts, most likely scavenged from any machine the blond could get his hands on. However these were the only things of interest that could be pointed out; the rest of the room was actually very tidy and plain.

Clemont sat on his bed and asked, "So, what did you want to talk about?" Alexa, who'd turned her attention back to the contraption on the desk in an attempt to identify it, turned back to the boy and said, "Well, it's related to you and your sister, if I'm honest." His expression remained curious, though there was a brief flash of panic in his eyes.

"What about us?" Alexa motioned toward the bed, asking without saying so if she were able to sit down. The boy shifted, a silent answer to her question. As she sat down next to him, she said, wishing to get straight to the point, "I saw you two today, and it looked as though you'd had a fight." Despite this, she waited for him to respond to this rather than ask what had happened. He removed his glasses and asked, almost defensively, taking out a cloth to clean them, "How could you tell?"

"Maybe because you two don't normally fight. And from what I saw, you both looked pretty annoyed today. So what happened?" He didn't say a word, and even when he put the cloth back in his pocket, he didn't put his glasses back on, choosing instead to stare at the floor. Alexa could only assume he was trying to choose his words carefully, prompting her to say, "Y'know, it's okay to say that Bonnie was being annoying or childish. Not only is she still a child, but even the closest of siblings can have arguments. I'm not afraid to admit that when we were younger, Viola had her bratty moments." Hearing this made Clemont sigh, and as he put his glasses back on and sat up straight, he muttered, "In that case, she was being a little annoying." A small nod from Alexa prompted him to continue.

"It's stupid, but she won't stopping bugging me over Emma, insisting we could be "a thing". We're only friends," he said with tight lipped frustration, the last sentence coming out in a mumble. Alexa blinked.

"Emma?" Her saying the name in a confused tone made the boy flinch as he muttered, scratching the back of his neck, "Right, I haven't exactly mentioned her before to anyone." Alexa smiled slyly as she said, "Well, I can at least out two and two together. Can I assume correctly that 'Emma' is the girl you've been hanging out with around Lumiose City for the past month?" Clemont's cheeks flushed into a bright pink as he asked, voice jumping up several pitches, "You've been watching me?" The woman couldn't help but chuckle at his reaction.

"No no, I haven't been stalking you or anything. I don't do gossip. I've just seen you around the city with the girl. Which is perfectly normal since she's just a friend, like you said." This made the gym leader calm down a bit, though his face remained a noticeable shade of pink. Alexa decided to quickly move on by asking, "So in short, your sister is trying to get you a girlfriend?" He sighed again as he nodded, saying, "That's what it looks like. Frankly, it's annoying and I don't even know why she does it."

"She's only looking out for you," Alexa pointed out, to which he said, "I thought I was supposed to look out for her, being older and all." The woman rolled her eyes and said, "It can go both ways. As far as I can tell, she probably just wants you to be happy." The boy himself rolled his own eyes as he sighed, "But I'm perfectly happy just being friends with Emma." Alexa gave him a small smile as she said, "Well, Bonnie might not realise that. She is still young, like I said."

"I know." The two were silent for a little while, until Alexa stood and said, "Either way, there's not much can be done about the situation until you two talk yourselves. Just remember," she turned to face him, "she only wants the best for you. And it makes sense since you've worked hard looking after her to give her the best she can get. Don't let her get to you though; if you're happy, then that's the best thing." She started to leave, however she paused with her hand on the door handle as he asked, "Did you and Viola come here today just to talk to us separately?" Looking over her shoulder, she smiled.

"We did say we wanted to come over and chat, didn't we?" And with a wink, she left the boy in his room, leaving him to mull over the conversation they'd just had.

Meanwhile, Alexa couldn't help but think as she re-entered the living room that she would need to take Viola's own stash of sweet things and hide them from her as she saw her sister asleep on the sofa, Bonnie once again watching tv while eating a chocolate bar.

* * *

**New drabble!**

**And more hinting at that ship I started to ship because I wrote accidental ship tease back in chapter 6/drabble 5 pt2. Only hinting though, don't worry.**

**I will admit, I've been sort of thinking lately about including minor romance, if only to satisfy my inner shipper, but I don't think I will. For starters, the genres are Humour/Friendship. It'd be weird having romance, even minor. Second, I wouldn't want to make you guys sit through that.**

**...Though if youse are okay with it, I could totally do it just saying.**

**/shot**

**Anyway, I hope this at least somewhat-ish satisfies the reviewers who mentioned Bonnie's matchmaker tendancies. I might do a proper thing in a later drabble (Depending on how youse feel about the romance thing though, this could change), but I hope this does for now.**

**Next drabble I post will take a while. It's a Christmas one, cause tis the season. I might do another quickie drabble to keep you all interested since it is a week or so till Christmas, not that that's stopped me before with this story. Nevertheless, my goal is to have it done for Christmas Day, even if I have to pull a loophole and post it on Boxing Day/the 26th for me and say, "But it's still Christmas for the Americans!" Cause when I say Boxing Day, I most likely mean the early early hours.**

**Worst case scenario, I might go way over Christmas, which I hope doesn't happen. But like I said, worst case scenario, so if that does end up happening, I hope youse don't mind a very belated Christmas drabble.**

**And much rambling later, she decides to end this story lol**

**Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed, please review, suggest, fave and follow!**

**Angel-chan x**


	14. Merry Christmas from Kalos pt1

It was hard to miss her as she skated up Autumnal Avenue. Korrina ignored the stares from the citizens of Lumiose City, skating along with a broad smile on her face and without a care in the world. A sharp corner down an alley brought her to a collection of apartment buildings, to which she skated towards one. Buzzing one of the apartments, she waited, skating back and forth on the spot while supporting herself with the door frame.

"Hello?" A male voice asked as the small machine came to life with a crackle of static. Korrina grinned.

"Yo Clemont. Guess who?" A sigh.

"What is it Korrina?" The girl could hear the irritation in his voice, making her pout. She could vaguely hear Bonnie asking who it was on the other end, with her brother responding with her name. Korrina stopped rolling on the spot and folded her arms.

"First off, I'd prefer it if you were a little nicer to me," she said, ignoring his reply of "Then act your age and stop being a nuisance" as she continued, "and second, I need you to head to the skate park on Route 5. Bring Bonnie with you."

"Eh? Why?" the boy asked. Korrina beamed, though this couldn't be seen, and said, "Just do it, will ya! I'll be there myself in 10 minutes, I need to go get Viola from Santalune. I might pick up Alexa too, we'll see if she's busy or not. You'll be there right?" She asked, sounding hopeful. Another sigh.

"Fine, we'll be there. Bonnie, get your shoe-" The rest of what he was saying was cut off as he no doubt began to get ready to leave. Happy in the knowledge that they'd be at the location, Korrina skated off, with Santalune City as her next destination.

* * *

Stepping foot onto Route 5, the siblings were surprised to see the other gym leaders also waiting by the location indicated by Korrina. And as they walked up to join the group, Wulfric turned, hearing them approach and chuckled, "So Korrina's gotten you involved as well."

"Yeah, I guess. But involved in what?" Clemont asked, brow furrowed in confusion. The other gym leaders could only shrug in response, as confused about the situation as the boy was. Sighing, the boy and his sister could only join the group in waiting, Bonnie being welcomed onto the bench with Valerie. Looking around at everyone, the woman smiled.

"This feels exciting," she giggled, to which Grant, standing near her, rolled his eyes and responded, "Don't think that's the word the rest of us would use." Ramos nodded, adding, "I'd personally say its more worrying. I mean, what exactly has Korrina got in mind here?" Wulfric shook his head, a smile on his face.

"I wouldn't worry about it too much. This is Korrina we're talking about. And considering what's she's wearing today, I'd say she's got good intentions," he said. Valerie looked at the large man with a confused look, as did Clemont and his sister, as she asked, "What was she wearing?"

"You didn't see it?" Grant said, eyebrow raised. The three shook their heads.

"I was busy at the time in another room. Katherine came to me saying Korrina had come and wanted me to be here," Valerie said, with the Lumiose gym leader adding himself, "She called our apartment, so we only heard her voice." This made the Johto woman frown, looking worried as she asked, "Why? What is she wearing?" In response, Wulfric chuckled again.

"Something tells me you might have a problem with it Valerie," he laughed, though to her frustration, he didn't elaborate. Grant turned to face Olympia, the only one who hadn't spoken at all, and asked, "Do you know anything about what's going on?" The woman shook her head. As she opened her mouth to speak, Wulfric spoke up, turned to face the route gate.

"Well lookie here," he laughed, as Viola walked out, rubbing her bare arms as she no doubt felt the chill in the air. Ramos shook his head as he asked, "Why aren't ya wearing a jacket? It's the middle of December." The woman cringed as she said, smiling nervously as her lips visibly quivered, "Korrina didn't give me time to grab one." Grant frowned.

"Okay, what is up with her? Dragging you out of the house without a jacket in this weather, getting us all _to wait_ in this weather. Where even is she?" he asked, sounding irritated. Viola shrugged, not wearing Wulfric's rather large jacket draped over her shoulders.

"She said she would catch up with me. I couldn't quite hear what she was saying cause she was skating away from me, but I think she was going to see if Alexa was free." This only made the man groan with frustration as he put his head in his hands in a bid to calm himself. Valerie bit her lip and said, a whimper lining her voice as she too expressed frustration, "Oh won't she just get here already and tell us what she's doing? I can't stand the cold much longer."

"I thought you were the one that was 'excited' about this little mystery of hers?" The Rock gym leader sighed, sarcasm finding its way into his tone. Before Valerie could respond, a voice made every head turn toward the route gate.

"Hey! Sorry I kept you guys here!" Korrina's appearance warranted different reactions. Ramos and Olympia remained silent, though both let out similar sighs of exasperation; Grant and Viola began rounding on the young girl, spilling out their annoyances on her, typically consisting of either "It is freezing out here!" or "What exactly are you playing at?"; Clemont and Bonnie were simply shocked at what she decided to wear that day; and Wulfric stood at the side of it all, amused by the entire affair. However Valerie's reaction was the most apparent. Though shocked like the Lumiose siblings, and for the same reason, this shock was overpowered by horror. She jumped to her feet and said, almost quietly and at the same level, "Oh my Arceus Korrina what are you wearing?" as her face paled, her eyes widened and her hands flew up to cover her mouth.

"What this?" Korrina beamed, doing a small spin on the spot, which was an impressive action on its own considering she was, as always, wearing her trademark skates. She'd switched out her usual white and red dress for a long sleeved, garish bright green one, hemmed with red at the skirt, sleeves and neckline, and over the top of her helmet, she'd pulled - rather ungracefully - a Santa hat. She still wore her same skates and fingerless gloves though, so it was hard to say whether Valerie's horror came about over the dress alone, how none of it matched, or just everything about the outfit. Korrina grinned, "I found it in a boutique a week or so back. I thought it looked good, that it looked Christmassy. So I bought it and now," another twirl, "I'm wearing it!" Valerie did not seem satisfied. If anything, her hands were shaking horribly and she looked on the verge of tears. Viola shuffled over to her and whispered, "It's probably best if you look away." The woman nodded, panting frantically as if scrambling for words, as she turned around and buried her head in her hands.

"Well, you've driven Valerie to tears and me and Viola to almost screaming," Grant said, trying to stay calm. He kicked a stone as he shrugged and asked, "Why?" Korrina grinned, placing her hands on her hips and puffing her chest out as she announced, "I have gathered you all here to suggest we all work together to spread Christmas cheer around the Kalos region!"

This was met with silence, many looking at the girl like she'd gone mad. Even the normally jovial, optimistic Wulfric - who usually enjoyed going along with whatever scheme Korrina had come up with, his reasoning that she was only having some harmless fun and would never do anything to legitimately hurt anyone - looked incredulous. Grant sighed with exasperation.

"I'm going home," he said, turning and beginning to walk down the route. He was stopped however as a Machoke stepped out from the tall grass and stood in his way, blocking the path.

"Yeeeeeah, just cause I said it was a suggestion doesn't mean I'm giving you a choice," Korrina said, still smiling. From the route gate, her Mienfoo walked out, dragging a large sack behind it.

"I'm suddenly worried about this," Clemont muttered, eyeing up the sack with a nervous look and an arched eyebrow, looking away when the Fighting-type turned and looked at him.

"Oh come on," the blonde moaned, beginning to circle the gym leaders with an irritated pout on her face, "where's your Christmas spirit?" Bonnie jumped to her feet, remaining on the bench, and said, "I have Christmas spirit!" Her brother shushed her, muttering, "Shush, don't encourage her. And don't stand on the bench." Olympia took a step forward, cape wrapped tightly around herself.

"Just one question, dear," she said, then nodded her head toward Korrina's Mienfoo, "What is in the bag over with your Mienfoo?" Korrina's pout morphed into a grin again and she skated through the middle of the group to her pokémon. Reaching into the bag as it was held open by the Mienfoo, she pulled out a pair of Sawsbuck antlers and said, "Just some little bits and pieces I've gathered up. It's not all costumes, don't worry." The realisation began to sink in that they most certainly had no say in what was going on here, and no way of getting out of it. They looked to Olympia, the only one other than Valerie that could maybe fight off Korrina's pokémon and allow them all to run to safety, however she shook her head, making it clear that such a thing would not happen. Why, they didn't push for. Valerie's hand rose.

"Since it appears we are stuck doing this, can I just ask that I have half an hour at the least to return home and make myself a costume? I refuse to wear anything you've brought, if its anything like what you're wearing right now," she asked. Korrina thought this over and then shrugged.

"Sure, I guess that's fair. But aren't you going to say no offence or something for saying my dress sucks?"

"No."

* * *

**Merry Christmas!**

**Have a slightly early present. I know I said I'd rather have this out by the actual day, but it hasn't happened like that. Instead, have a two parter. Today, you get this, then on the actual day, the next part.**

**Hope this is okay. :)**

**/reads over that passage**

**Oh god, I hope that doesn't sound rude. :(**

**Anyway, part of the reason I've split it is because this chapter alone took ages to write. Why?**

**Because GameFreak decided to have Olympia speak in haiku, which I can't write for the life of me. The one line she has in this was an attempt at haiku style dialogue, and I still worry, even now that it's actually dead awkward sounding.**

**Next chapter though shouldn't be a problem. What may be a problem though is timing; I now have four days to write.**

**...I've written in shorter time periods, in fact, I've written whole drabbles in one day before. That's one at a time, not multiples in one day.**

**Shut up Angel-chan, you're babbling now.**

**So, hope you all enjoyed. Do fave and follow if you don't already, or if you don't have an account, bookmark the story and check regularly. Not too regularly, a few times a week at most I'd say. I update at least once a week, once every two weeks if I'm busy.**

**I'm still rambling okay then.**

**Hope you all have a very merry Christmas, hope you liked the drabble, hope you all look forward to the next part and thank you all so much for reading and reviewing and sticking with this story so far.**

**I'll probably do all the thanking stuff closer to New Year or when we reach some sort of milestone like 20 chapters/drabbles or something, but seriously, thank you. It honestly does mean a lot.**

**Angel-chan x**


	15. Merry Christmas from Kalos pt2

As Korrina often frequented the PR Studio in Lumiose City, she effectively forced everyone into the building - though not without some relief from Viola, who was still wearing Wulfric's jacket like a thick cloak - to get changed, with Valerie being excused to go back to Laverre City to make herself an outfit. She was, however, accompanied by Korrina's Hawlucha, should she, in Korrina's words, 'try anything funny'.

"I don't think we do enough at Christmas time," she said as she paced like a drill sergeant back and forth outside the changing rooms. She pursed her lips as she swivelled around and continued skating along, and said, "Sure, we'll all do our own thing with our own families and such. But what about the rest of the region? I can't help but feel that we, as gym leaders, should do that little bit more for the people of the region."

"Yeah," Viola said as she opened the curtain, "we got that." She had been given a dress similar on style to Korrina's own, except it was white in colour with a blue trim. Since the clothing the young girl had brought consisted of just some jumpers, dresses and accessories, Viola was left wearing her boots on her feet, making her think of how Valerie would react upon returning. She sighed as she looked over the dress, grimacing as she asked, "Where exactly did you find this? And your own dress, for that matter?"

"Just in a small boutique in Shalour City," Korrina muttered absently as she continued pacing. Viola's eyebrow arched itself as she asked with disbelief, "There's a boutique in Shalour City? Since when?" The Fighting gym leader shrugged.

"I dunno. It's either been there for a few years now and I never noticed it or its just new, I dunno." Viola sighed again. The changing room next to her opened up.

"Meanwhile, I don't think I want to know where you got this," Clemont deadpanned, and when Viola peaked past the partition between their changing room, she had to stifle her laughter at what he'd been made to wear; a blue sweater designed like a Piplup's chest, and hanging around his neck was a beak, attached to an elastic wire. Korrina grinned.

"Well in that case, think yourself lucky the place I bought that stuff had sold out on the headpiece. And don't you look adorable?" she squealed, bending down as Bonnie giggled from behind her brother's leg. A woollen hat in the style of a Snover's head sat on her head, and like her brother, she'd been given a jumper, designed with said pokémon likeness on it.

"What does Piplup even have to do with Christmas?" Clemont asked, to which Korrina said, straightening up, "Well, even if it itself isn't an overly Christmassy thing, many people associate many Winter or Ice-type pokémon with Christmas. Even as a Water-type, Piplup is pretty Wintery, isn't it?" Viola chuckled, "That explains the Snover outfit too then." Ramos, Olympia and Grant came out from a side room, being spared from wearing jumpers only to have Santa hats and the Sawsbuck antlers in Grant's case. As he spied the three blondes sniggering silently, he scowled and huffed under his breath, "Oh shut up." As Viola hurried over to join Olympia and Ramos, Bonnie following behind her, the man stopped Clemont in his tracks as he moved to follow the two and said threateningly, "You especially don't try anything. I've been friends with your father for years, okay, I've seen you in diapers, boy." The Electric specialist, who had been holding his hands up in defense, pulled a face and muttered as Grant walked away again, "Gross."

Meanwhile, Korrina skated over to the last changing room, where Wulfric was.

"Yo, you done yet? It's gonna be dark soon," she called, leaning against the partition. The man within sighed and called back, "Almost. Why exactly have I got this duty?" Korrina rolled her eyes and said, as though the answer were obvious, "'Cause you're big, fat and jolly. You fit the picture." Wulfric muttered, "I was afraid you'd say that." Viola wandered over and said to Korrina, "Valerie just called; she's almost finished and she says she'll meet us by Prism Tower." The earned a thumbs up from the girl, who then called through again, "You nearly done now?"

"What've you got him wearing?" Viola asked, eyebrow cocked. Korrina grinned.

"You'll see in a minute, if Wulfric ever gets out of there," she said, raising her voice as she finished the sentence. The curtain suddenly snapped open, silencing the other gym leaders. The old man smiled at the girl, though it seemed somewhat forced as he told her, "The only reason I'm wearing this is because it's for a good cause." To cut out a description that would've taken up time to write, he was the Santa Claus of the group. In a bid to break the silence that had gripped the leaders, Viola smiled and said, "At least you suit it." Wulfric straightened the jacket and nodded his head at the woman, saying, "Thank you." Korrina skated past the two, toward the door, then spun round to face the group.

"Alright people! We're gonna go out there and have some fun while we're doing what we're doing, okay?" Ramos shook his head, muttering, "Ye can't force us to have fun, Korrina." The girl pouted, "I'm aware. But at least humour me. And besides, this is mostly for the kids. What kid wants to see a grouchy grown up that's trying to spread Christmas cheer?" She sighed, then signalled to her Mienfoo, that'd been waiting in the corner the whole time with the large sack. She took the sack off of it and removed from it a smaller sack. She handed one to Grant, being closest to her, then pulled out another, passing it to Ramos. This continued until everyone had a small bag to themselves. Then, she gave the sack itself to Wulfric, after pulling out a small sack for herself.

"What's in these?" Viola asked, pulling a small, decorative box from the sack. Korrina coughed to clear her throat then said, "It's the same in all the bags; a couple of candy canes, little boxes like that one that's got little toys in it for the kids, and some of those paper hats you find in Christmas crackers that I've saved from over the years." Catching some raised eyebrows at this last item in the list, she frowned, "I've kept them in good condition, I swear."

"When you say those boxes have toys in them, what kind of toys is it?" Clemont asked, making the girl stop to think, as she was already making her way to the door. She leaned against the door as she thought, saying absently as the contents came to her, "Just some little things I guess. Like...some pokémon figurines, other little toys I've just sort of collected, and I think maybe some small pieces of jewellery for any little girls that're into that sort of thing." The gym leaders looked amongst themselves, surprised.

"You've...really thought hard about this," Viola pointed out. Korrina smiled, shrugging as she stood straight again. "Y'think? I guess I have sort of. See you guys out on the streets." With that, the conversation was over, and she left the building. The gym leaders waited, unsure exactly of what they were to do. Sure, they had simple enough instructions; go around and give out the little treats in the bags to kids. But just stepping outside, especially with some of them dressed up the way they were, wasn't as easy as it sounded. Eventually, the Ice gym leader sighed and swung the sack over his shoulder, muttering, "Might as well get on with it." Hushed mutters of agreement followed, and the leaders all filed out of the building, separating out into the streets of Lumiose City.

* * *

7pm came, bringing a message from Korrina that they were all to meet at Café Kizuna for a break. They gathered slowly, having been scattered all across the city. Valerie was the first to arrive.

"Yo!" Korrina waved from her seat, skates off and legs curled up underneath her body. The woman sat across from her, saying, "You must have been working hard. Especially since you organised this." Korrina nodded as she took a drink from the hot cocoa that was sitting in front of her. She sighed, "This is the first I've sat down since I got up this morning. My feet are killing me." For added emphasis, she unfurled one of her legs and stretched it out, toes cracking as they too stretched out. Valerie winced at the sound and waved her hand, indicating she'd seen enough as she said, "I can guess."

"Your dress is pretty. Good thing I didn't give you one of mine then," the blonde smiled, admiring the light purple dress with its gold accents. In a way, it was similar to the furisode Valerie normally wore, except not nearly as detailed, and the sleeves didn't fully encompass her arms, stopping before her hands and belling out instead.

Valerie smiled. "Thank you. And I must be honest, while it certainly isn't to my taste, and while your skates and gloves don't go well with it, your dress is quite appealing in its own right. And it suits the season." Korrina nodded at the compliment, then nodded her head again, motioning to the bag Valerie had set by her feet.

"I see you met up with Wulfric at one point. How'd'you do handing out the gifts?" she asked. Valerie picked up the bag and after a quick look inside, said, "I've done quite well actually. And quite a lot of children were very happy with the gifts." The two young women fell silent. Korrina took another sip of her hot cocoa and Valerie turned to look out into Hibernal Avenue. Neither said a word until the Johto woman piped up, "This is a very nice thing you're doing." Korrina smiled.

"That's what I was aiming to do; a nice thing. D'you know how many kids ain't that lucky at Christmas? Like, they don't get much. I'm not saying Christmas is about the material things, but for some kids, it's gotta be a little heartbreaking hearing about the big guy in the red suit who gives out presents to every kid yet not getting much on the day," she said, looking out the window with a distant look in her eye as she leaned her head against her arms as they rested on the table. Valerie frowned.

"I hate to pry, but has that..." She trailed off. Korrina looked up at her, then shook her head, despite the awkward position.

"Nah, that never happened to me. I was pretty fortunate. But I see it a lot in Shalour City." Unsure of what to say, Valerie didn't reply, and their little corner fell quiet again. Fortunately, the arrival of Viola and Grant meant the silence didn't last.

"Hey!" The woman greeted, hugging Valerie as she stood to greet the two in return. Viola gasped as she took in Valerie's attire, "Your dress is beautiful!" The woman giggled as she twirled on the spot, showing it off.

"Ain't it? I'm glad then that I didn't try and shove her into one of these dresses," Korrina laughed, earning her a raised eyebrow and a response of "So it's okay to shove me in one?" from Viola. Grant sat at the table next to the women and let out a huff of air as he rubbed his hands together, saying, "It's beginning to get pretty chilly outside." Valerie nodded, then a smile crept onto her face as she saw some children running around outside. Her smile grew wider as she noticed the small pokémon figurines in their hands; gifts from other gym leaders.

"They don't seem to mind the cold," she muttered contentedly, quite happy to watch them play. Grant clicked his tongue as he too noticed the kids outside, saying, "Kids never seem to mind the cold. If they can still play, they'll play. You'd be surprised how many kids I see playing on the beach in Cyllage, no matter the season." Valerie chuckled, "But who doesn't love the beach?" The door opening grabbed the four's attentions; Clemont walked in, carrying Bonnie on his back. The girl looked to be on the verge of falling asleep.

"She looks tired," Viola pointed out. She and the others then chuckled as the small girl mumbled into her brother's shoulder, "'M not tired." The boy carefully lowered the girl into a nearby booth before he sat opposite her, smiling as his sister then proceeded to curl up into a ball and fall asleep.

"It's hardly late, but she's been pretty busy tonight," he said. Korrina scanned over the siblings and noticed two things, the first being their clothing.

"What happened to your sweaters?" she asked, noticing that they were now wearing the jackets they were wearing earlier that day. Clemont pursed his lips as he tried to remember what had happened.

"We went to go visit a friend at one point, taking a shortcut through a couple of back alleys." He then frowned, looking upset. "It was pretty awful. There's a lot of kids down those alleys. I never realised just how many don't have homes." The other gym leaders were silent, unsure of how to respond until Valerie said quietly, "You gave them your sweaters." He nodded.

"Yeah. But the good thing is, they should all be okay tonight. Our friend offered to take them in for the night, and maybe the next few nights as well. She's going to see about finding them homes if she can. At least they've got someplace warm and dry to stay for now. And those toys to play with," he finished with a smile in Korrina's direction. He chuckled as he began to recall, "It was actually pretty cute, seeing them all so excited about the toys. This one girl absolutely fell in love with this little plastic ring, she didn't even take it off the entire time we were there. In fact, by the time we left, she still had it on when our friend was putting them to sleep."

"That's good to hear. I hope things turn out well for those kids," Korrina nodded, smiling and leaning back in her chair. Viola nodded, then said, "Y'know, I don't know about the rest of you guys, but tonight's actually been pretty fun when I think about it. It's been nice seeing all these kids all happy, even over some small things like candy canes and plastic jewellery." She looked down at Korrina.

"This really is a good thing you've forced us into." Looking around the other gym leaders gathered, Korrina couldn't help but smile as she saw them all nodding in agreement, and a faint blush appeared on her cheeks as she said, "What can I say, I like the holiday season and the good feelings it brings. So why not spread some of those feelings, eh?" Viola chuckled, "It's a good idea."

"Just a suggestion for the future though, maybe you shouldn't be quite as forceful about getting others involved," Grant said. Korrina pointed at him with a quick click of her fingers and a muttered, "Noted." The door opened again, with Ramos and Olympia bring tales of their own adventures with them. Thus leaving the gym leaders waiting for their Santa Claus. They were left waiting for half an hour, during which they talked about what they would do on Christmas Day, before Wulfric appeared.

"I'm sorry to have kept you all waiting," he said as he entered, "I was held up. Plus, I've brought someone with me." As he stepped out of the way of the door, Viola blinked, surprised.

"Alexa?" The gym leader's older sister nodded. "Hey sis!" she greeted, grabbing Viola in a hug. As the other gym leaders also welcomed the newcomer, Viola asked, "Why are you here?" Alexa sat down in the empty seat across from Grant and answered, "Well, I've seen you guys going about doing whatever it is you guys were doing, but I couldn't leave my desk cause I was held down with work. Then, when I was leaving to head home and maybe ask what was up if I ran into one of you guys, my colleague, the girl in charge of the gossip column said she might do something on what was happening.

"Of course, hearing this," she continued, "I knew I had to find you myself, cause if she's doing the story, Arceus knows what she'll print. Because apparently, doing the gossip column means doing no research," she said with sarcasm lacing her voice. The gym leaders flinched at hearing this, and Korrina quickly jumped to her feet and asked, "Please tell me your doing a story then, cause she'll make all our work look weird! And we've worked hard!" Alexa winked as she said, "Well, I had to be quick getting the go-ahead off my editor since this is such short notice, but I've got it. I will ask permission first, but I'm hoping you'll let me do a piece on this."

"Yes! This would be awesome!" Korrina cheered, jumping on the spot. Ramos shook his head and muttered, "It'd be nice if you asked if it was okay for the rest o' us as well." Korrina heard this and stopped jumping, frowning as she prepared to apologise, only to stop as she saw the small smile on his face. Everyone turned to Wulfric as he then spoke up, "That's actually the reason why I was held up. Well, partly, it was mostly because I was mobbed by children," he said, though his tone was lighthearted.

"Yeah, I ran into Wulfric and once all the kids had cleared, I asked what was going on. I've got most of the details, I just need to fill in the blanks," Alexa said, reaching into her belt bag and pulling out a small notebook and a pen. Korrina took her seat again and asked, "That's okay. What do you need to know?" Clicking the pen, the reporter said, "Nothing too big; any significant events you guys experienced separately, why you wanted to organise this in the first place, Korrina, and if you might do it again next year." This last bit made Valerie gasp and begin bouncing in her seat.

"Oh, can we? Tonight was so much fun, once we got into it, and next year we could organise it better!" she asked, looking to all present with a large smile on her face. Everyone looked to each other before all turning to Korrina. Realising the decision was up to her, Korrina blinked then said, scratching the back of her neck, "I guess. Yeah, that sounds good, it sounds like a plan. Plus if everyone's involved willingly, it means a little less work just for me. And trust me, it was actually pretty hard getting everything done alone." Valerie's hand shot into the air as she declared, "I'm automatically giving myself the duty of doing the clothes."

"Yeah, you can do that," Korrina chuckled. She then turned to Alexa and asked, "What do you want to start with, since you've got your answer for that last point." The woman smiled.

"Let's start from the beginning, please."

* * *

**Merry Christmas!**

**In my case, it's a Merry belated Christmas because while I'm posting this, it's 1:20am on Boxing Day/the 26th. Oh well, it's still Christmas in America, so I guess this sort of technically counts.**

**Either way, that's my two parter Christmas drabble complete. I hope you all enjoyed. Thanks for reading!**

**Also, I notice this is the 15th chapter of this thing. It's like a milestone I guess? But I'm not going to do a big celebration thing for it. I think I'll hold off till the 20th chapter.**

**For now though, I'm calling it there. Hope you all had/have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. There will be a new drabble quite soon, focusing on Korrina - again, sort of, since this one sort of did sort of - because I procrastinated a lot while writing this chapter, and one of the things I did while procrastinating was write another drabble.**

**Also, the Unova drabbles will have to be held off for a wee touch longer, I'm very very very very afraid to say because my parents told me one of my presents were running late, and today I found out while opening presents that it was Black. But soon! Soon there shall be Unova leaders in Kalos and Kalos leader in Unova! Because I have plans!**

**Thank you once more for reading, I do hope you enjoyed and had a lovely Christmas. And if you don't celebrate Christmas, then I hope you enjoyed whichever holiday you celebrate. Please do review, fave, follow, suggest, the usual guff.**

**Merry Christmas once more!**

**Angel-chan x**


	16. Korrina and her Chammy Bear

When Korrina was younger, she was never seen without her dear partner and friend, Pancham. Given to her as an egg by her father, a gift from a friend of his in Camphrier Town, before he and her mother left the region to work in Unova, she would care for it while her grandfather cared for her. And when it hatched...

"Wow! It's so cute!" the seven-year-old giggled, clinging tightly to the little panda pokémon. As it squirmed in her grasp and growled, she smiled, "You're also sort of grumpy, aren't you little guy?"

"Actually Korrina," her grandfather said as he entered the room, book in hand, "I think it might be a female." Korrina blinked, looked between the now pouting pokémon and her grandfather, then asked, "How can you tell?" The old man bent down and looked closely at the pokémon, which growled at his close proximity. Gurkinn hummed thoughtfully to himself, muttering absently, "I'm sure the people at the daycare said something about females having bushier tails or something... Or maybe they have no gender differences at all..." Shaking his head, he said, "We'll take it to a Pokémon Center tomorrow and give it a check-up." He stood again and left the room, leaving his granddaughter with the surprisingly grumpy pokémon.

"I don't care if you're a little guy or a little gal," Korrina said, smiling. She began scratching under Pancham's chin, making its scowl fall and it's growl turn affectionate. She laughed as she hugged it tightly, "I don't care, cause you're now my little Chammy Bear!"

* * *

It was on her eighth birthday that she received her first pair of skates from her parents, who were unfortunately stuck in Unova and couldn't come home to celebrate with her. Though initially unsure of them, as a previous attempt at ice skating when she was five had left her with a sore bottom and a bad impression of skating in general, once she had them and the safety equipment on, she found herself having fun. Even when she fell over, she simply laughed it off, as her Pancham - confirmed as female - would begin to fuss over her like a worried mother.

And when she got back to her feet and continued to skates through the streets of Shalour City, Pancham would run alongside her. They were inseparable.

* * *

"Why do I have to raise a Riolu? Cham- I mean Pancham and skating takes up all my time," Korrina asked, arms folded over her chest. Her grandfather sighed.

"You know fine well why. It's your job as the successor to be able to understand Mega Evolution, and it's best if you are able to use a pokémon that can utilise the ability." The 11-year-old pouted, then sighed.

"Fine, give me the egg. I was thinking of going down to the Battle Chateau on Route 7. I'll leave Pancham at the Day Care so she's kept busy and maybe all the battling will speed up the hatching process or somethin'," she said, her words descending into inaudible muttering by the end of the sentence. Her grandfather smiled as she left the room. The sound of Pancham excitedly greeting her partner and Korrina's own enthusiastic giggling made the old man's smile widen.

"Come on Chammy Bear, we're headed to Route 7," she said, her voice fading as the two left the Tower of Mastery.

* * *

Leaving Pancham had been surprisingly hard for the girl, however she promised to return after a good training session with her Mienfoo and her Machop. Yet when she'd returned...

"Chammy Bear, where are you?" she called out as she entered the Day Care. Walking up to one of the breeders that worked there, she asked, "Excuse me, where's my Pancham?" The breeder looked around the small garden and said, "I'm afraid I'm not sure. Last time I saw her, she was playing with a Purrloin someone left with us. Maybe if you check the area near the river?" When Korrina's expression looked panicked, the breeder quickly assured, "Oh don't worry, ma'am, the fencing there is perfectly safe." Leaving the breeder to get back to work, she skated over to the area indicated by the breeder. A Pangoro sat looking over the river, several Litleo playing around it. Two Espurr were curled up by the fencing, sleeping away. There were three or four Pancham there as well.

"Chammy Bear?" The blonde called out, focusing mainly on the small group of Pancham. Though she couldn't recognise her partner among them, she was hopeful it was either because they were playing so much she couldn't pick out her friend, or that her Pancham was hiding away somewhere just to make her worry before emerging again. As her focus was elsewhere, she missed the Pangoro's ears pricking up.

"Chammy Bear this isn't fun anymore. We gotta head home," she shouted, worry creeping into her voice. The Pangoro turned its head around. As it saw the girl, it got to its feet and sauntered up behind her. Korrina froze as she sensed the new presence behind her. Turning around, she jumped at the close proximity of the large, intimidating pokémon.

"Ca...can I help you?" she asked. The Pangoro mumbled, "Pan pan," as a low growling vibrated out of its throat. However Korrina didn't feel frightened at this; the growling sounded oddly affectionate. She paled as the breeders words came to mind again and she realised.

"...Chammy Bear?" she whispered, and to her dismay, the pokémon nodded. It - she let out a happy sounding growl and reached her arms forward as though about to engulf her partner in a hug. Korrina however backed away. The bag she had been holding containing the Riolu egg fell, almost landing on an unsuspecting Emolga that was playing with the pack of Litleo. Tears brimming in her eyes, the blonde turned sharply and skated off, jumping the fence and hurrying down Route 7. The Pangoro let out a distressed roar and took chase, easily clearing the white picket fence as she ran after her upset partner.

* * *

She'd made a sharp corner down Route 6, hoping to avoid people in general so she could be alone. Yet as she went along, she veered closer to the trees on one side until her skate caught on a root sticking out of the ground. She lay there for a few moments before crawling to an upright position. Korrina just sat by the tree that had tripped her, staring at the ground. Tears slid down her face, yet she was as calm as the word would allow for someone who'd just discovered her dearest friend had...changed.

She wasn't stupid, she knew how evolution worked. In most cases, even the friendliest of pokémon can suddenly become a completely different creature after evolving. That's what scared her; that she'd lost her precious Pancham. She'd seen what Pangoro could be like as she grew up, and what had scared her most about them was just how violent they could be. Showing no mercy during battle and worse, their trainers only encouraged this. Sure, in battle, you'd do anything to win, but that fighting style and that attitude had put her off ever letting Pancham evolve.

"Why didn't I check first?" she whispered, trembling. She shifted so her back was against the tree and she lay her head against her arms as they wrapped themselves around her legs, only to find this felt uncomfortable with her helmet on. She tore the headgear off and tossed it to the side, ignoring it as it almost fell down the hillside and into the tall grass below. She sat there, not really fighting the urge to cry yet not even trying to stop the tears that were already coming. The trees above, covering the entire path in shade, found themselves being disturbed by wind. A single leaf broke off from the force and floated down to rest on her head. A roaring in the distance made Korrina lift her head again, making the leaf fall off.

"Cham..." she breathed, gripping the tree as she tried to get to her feet, only for her feet to slide out from underneath her because of her skates. She let out a yelp of pain as her tailbone landed uncomfortably against a root. Another roar, sounding closer. Looking down the route where it connected with Route 7, her suspicions were confirmed as she saw the Pangoro from the daycare, her Pangoro running toward her. She remained where she was though, as attempting to stand again didn't seem such a good idea after the first attempt. The pokémon skidded to a stop by the girl and collapsed onto her knees, rapidly wailing in an upset tone.

"Chammy Bear, calm down," Korrina said, though she was drowned out as the pokémon continued howling. She tried again nonetheless, tried to calm the distressed pokémon, "Cha- Chammy Bear please. Calm down, please, just calm do- Chammy Bear!" Yet as her frustration grew, she found herself yelling more and more until she screamed, "Pangoro!" It couldn't be known whether it was the volume at which she'd screamed or the name that she'd used, however the Pangoro was silenced. As she panted, trying now to calm herself, Pangoro let out one more whimper as she lowered her head and nuzzled her partner.

"I'm sorry," Korrina muttered, giving the pokémon an awkward hug as, even while both of them were in sitting positions, Pangoro now towered over her. The girl began to giggle as Pangoro continued nuzzling, even dragging her onto her lap. She shuffled, trying to get comfortable, though she winced as she felt pain shooting up from her tailbone.

"Almost forgot about that," she murmured. A low rumbling arose from Pangoro's chest as she began growling that same affectionate growl, making Korrina giggle again.

"Stop that, that tickles," she laughed. As both pokémon and trainer fell silent, the girl couldn't help but think. She nuzzled her head deeper into Pangoro's fur and murmured, "I was wrong." Pangoro made a curious sound, prompting her to continue, "I always thought that if you evolved, you'd be all big and scary and mean like all the other Pangoro I've seen. So when I saw that'd you'd accidentally evolved while at the Day Care, I just instantly assumed you wouldn't be my Chammy Bear anymore." Pangoro was silent, and Korrina didn't know what she was thinking. Then, she lifted a giant paw and gave the blonde a light tap upside the head.

"Ow! What was that for?" Korrina yelled, holding her head despite that fact that it didn't actually hurt. Pangoro's brow was lifted and it wore, as best as could be distinguished, an unamused expression. Korrina rolled her eyes.

"Okay, I get it, it was stupid of me to think like that. But I couldn't help it, okay?" The pokémon growled playfully as she wrapped her arms around her partner and squeezed, making the girl gasp, "Okay, I get it! I get it! Arceus, now I know how you felt getting hugged like this as a Pancham." She was released, allowing her to breathe again.

"I think..." she panted, "I think we should go home now. We should've went back ages ago, and my grandpa would've been calling my Holo Caster for the past 10 minutes." A low rumble from Pangoro made her chuckle nervously and say, "My Holo Caster was in my bag. Which I sort of left at the Day Care. With...the Riolu egg." She buried her head and her hands and moaned, "My grandpa's gonna kill me." To her surprise, Pangoro lifted her up and to her feet, and when she stood herself, she growled, "Pan. Goro go," as though telling Korrina to hurry then. She smiled.

"Yeah. Lets go home, Chammy Bear." She skated over, picked up her helmet, then followed after Pangoro.

* * *

It was two years later, at 13 years old, that she got offered the position of gym leader.

"Can you believe this?" she laughed, dancing around her Pangoro before collapsing in her lap. Gurkinn watched with amusement, saying, "It's a big honour, especially for someone so young. I want you to take this seriously." Korrina sat up straight and said, "Of course!" She beamed up at Pangoro, saying, "We're gonna be the best team! You, me, Mienfoo and Machoke!" Pangoro nodded, a broad smile on her face. Gurkinn's smile fell as he coughed.

"About that," he muttered, catching Korrina's attention. She pursed her lips and said, "Don't worry, I'm not going to use either of my Lucario for gym battles. I know your research is too important." Her grandfather shook his head.

"That's not it. Look," he stood up, sighing, "sweetheart, I'm afraid the League called earlier. They don't want you to use Pangoro in your gym battles." Korrina's eyes widened and she shot to her feet, confusion and annoyance on her face as she asked sharply, "Why?"

"The League is worried Pangoro is too violent. They don't want trainers getting hurt while battling, nor do they want the pokémon to be hurt too severely, especially since you're being placed at such a low stage of the League." Korrina pouted.

"I'm only the second gym of the region, and besides, Cha- I mean Pangoro isn't like others of its species. She can go easy on trainers, can't you?" she asked, turning to the pokémon and scratching under its chin and making her growl with pleasure. Gurkinn shook his head.

"I'm sorry Korrina, but they League has decided. You're either going to have to have your gym battles with just Mienfoo and Machoke or get one other pokémon to make a team of three." With that, the man left, taking a book and some research notes with him, and leaving a now dejected Korrina alone with her Pangoro. The girl fell back onto Pangoro's lap, upset and frustrated. The pokémon wrapped her arms gently around her partner and held her close.

"Well," Korrina sniffed, folding her arms and trying to keep a straight face, "I guess that's that. The "Almighty League" has spoken." Bitter sarcasm entered her voice as she said the "almighty League", though this made Pangoro laugh, which in turn made Korrina laugh herself.

"Hey you, I've told you before that tickles!" As she squirmed in Pangoro's grip she smiled up at the pokémon.

"It ain't the end of the earth if I can't use you for gym battles," she said, twirling the short strands of fur around her index finger, "It sucks, but it doesn't mean I can't still battle with you for other things. And besides, you're still my Chammy Bear, aren't you?" Pangoro nodded, and Korrina shifted so she could wrap her arms around her beloved friend and partner in a hug, which was happily returned.

* * *

**Explanation time!**

**I personally - and some friends of mine - expected Korrina to use a Pangoro in her gym battle. Cause I mean, why introduce a pokémon like that if you ain't gonna let the Fighting Gym Leader use it?**

**Unfortunately, she doesn't use one. But I'd like to think she does still have one; we just don't see it.**

**I guess you could call this backstory. Hope it doesn't suck, I couldn't help but think some bits sounded a tad awkward when I was writing, though a friend said she couldn't see anything awkward when I let her read it.**

**Thanks for reading as usual, hope you enjoyed! Please review, suggest, fave and follow. Any anons that can't do those, it would be nice to drop a wee review even if just to say "Hi, I'm reading!". You don't have to though, but it'd be nice.**

**Thank you once more!**

**Angel-chan x**


	17. Fossil Acquaintances

"I don't see why you wanted me to come down here," the Cyllage City gym leader said as he and the scientist walked down the cave passage. "I don't need anymore pokémon; I'm perfectly happy with the team I have." The scientist nodded, saying, "I'm aware of that. This isn't about pokémon, it's more about a person." Grant cocked an eyebrow, curious, but he didn't ask anymore questions. Rounding a corner, they came across a large group of people.

"I'm gonna guess and say this is that fossil excavation group you mentioned over the phone," the man said. The scientist nodded, saying, "Yes, yes. People from different regions all here hunting fossils. I must admit its an honour that they came here considering some regions have better locations and equipment for fossil excavation. Sinnoh especially in both areas." Grant nodded absently, his attention focused mainly on the group than the scientist before asking him, "So, where's this person you wanted me to meet?" Motioning down the corridor, the scientist said, "Down that way. He's working alone from the rest of the group." A quick gesture from the gym leader indicated he wanted the scientist to lead the way. As he followed behind him, he couldn't help but watch, oddly fascinated despite fossils rather ironically not being his thing, as many of the excavators - some quite young, which surprised him - unearthed different fossils he couldn't recognise, at least immediatly.

"There he is." Snapped back to what was going on in front of him, he focused on the young man the scientist had pointed out; red hair topped by a worker's helmet, decked in clothing fit for working underground and wearing small, square glasses, he seemed deep in his work. Before Grant could tell the scientist to leave him to his work, to introduce him later, the man walked up, saying, "Roark, my man, I'd like to introduce you to somebody!" The man, Roark looked up from his work and stood, shaking the hand that was held out to him as he said, "Really? Where are they?" Urging Grant forward and out from behind the corner, the scientist introduced him.

"This is Grant, from Cyllage City just down Route 8. He's a good friend of the lab back in Ambrette Town, and even has some fossil pokémon himself. Grant, Roark here is from Sinnoh, primarily Oreburgh City." As the two men shook hands, Roark nodded, saying, "Pleasure to meet you." Grant responded, "Likewise." As they both turned back to the scientist, they saw he was interacting with a young boy holding an Old Amber fossil.

"We can take that back to Ambrette Town and get it revived for you. For now, you keep searching and maybe you'll find more," he said to the boy, who nodded enthusiastically before running off, pocketing the piece of amber. Standing straight again, he told them, "I need to kee an eye on the group, especially the younger ones. Can I leave you?" he asked, departing after both men gave him a quick nod. Alone together, Roark asked, taking out a rag and whiping his forehead, "Could we maybe head out for five minutes? I've been down here all afternoon and its pretty stuffy." Grant shrugged.

"Sure, I don't see a problem with that." With Grant in the lead, the two men made their way outside, with Roark taking a seat on the stairs leading down to the rocky trail that was Route 9. The Kalosian remained standing, leaning against the rock wall with his arms folded. He clicked his tongue, unsure of what to say. He was curious about the Sinnoher, and he especially wanted to know why in particular the scientist wanted to introduce him to the man. Having fossil pokémon didn't seem enough. However it was Roark who spoke up first.

"It's a good view," he said, nodding his head toward the large expanse beyond the edge of Route 9. Grant shrugged. "It looks nice, yeah. But there ain't much out there; as far as anyone's explored, it's just wild pokémon territory. Not much else to see and not really a place you can settle down and build up a town or city." Roark looked up at him and said, "True. But really, you don't want to change too much about a place, do you?"

"I suppose," the gym leader muttered. Before the pair could fall into silence again, Roark said, "The scientist said you've got some fossil pokémon. If it isn't any trouble, could I maybe see them?" Shrugging again, Grant dug out his Poké Balls and said before he tossed them, "I don't see a problem with that." He released Tyrunt and Amaura, the former immediatly backing away from the latter toward his partner with a hostile growl, making Amaura's sails sag with sadness.

"That's Amaura, a Rock/Ice-type, and this little bully is Tyrunt, a Rock/Dragon-type," Grant introduced, casting a stern look at the pokémon as he went and pet Amaura over the head, trying to comfort it. Roark stood and looked over though two, though from a distance as Tyrunt was also casting uneasy glances his way and he wasn't sure if he were allowed to get closer, nodding as he muttered, "They're interesting types. I must admit, they do have a few weakness." Grant scratched the back of his neck as he chuckled, "Yeah, they're not too good defensively. But they make up for it by being good attackers. Don't you guys?" He scratched Amaura's head, making it chirp happily. Looking back up again, he saw Roark take out a Poké Ball.

"As it turns out, I also have a fossil pokémon," he said, releasing said pokémon; the Cranidos instantly began rubbing its head against its trainer's leg affectionately. As the man bent down to pet the pokémon, Grant couldn't help but say, "It's a good pokémon. When'd you get it?" Roark smiled as he said, "I dug up his fossil myself. Sinnoh's underground is a good place to find fossils and the like."

"I'll take your word on that. Not only is digging not really my thing, I don't think I could take the cold. No offence," he said, with Roark quickly responding, "None taken, but really, it's not that bad in Sinnoh. In the mainland at least, Sunnyshore City is probably the warmest area in the region, though Eterna is a close second. And Oreburgh gets at least a little heat from the steam vents leading out from the mines. Speaking of which, the undergrounds of Sinnoh are surprisingly warm. I've found myself being grateful for the cold air when I get out, it's that warm." Grant chuckled again, "I'll take your word on that as well. Frankly, I'm quite happy in Cyllage. Plus I can't really leave my gym, after how long I waited to get the position." Roark blinked, surprise on his face.

"You're a gym leader?" he asked, an amused smile on his face. As Grant nodded, eyebrow raised in confusion, Roark laughed. "What are the odds? I'm a gym leader too, in Oreburgh. And Cranidos is my main partner," he said, placing a hand on the pokémon's head. Grant's face lit up with realisation, and he snorted dryly, "Of course. That explains it." He smiled and said, "That scientist said he wanted to introduce me to a specific person, and now I see why." Shaking his head, he then asked, "Alright then, what do you specialise in?"

With the simple reply of, "Rock-types" Grant frowned and said, "Okay, now that's a little too much of a coincidence." Roark gave him a small smile, saying, "You'll be glad to hear then that it doesn't quite run in the family. My dad's a Steel specialist in Canalave City."

"You're dad's a gym leader as well? The specialty might not run in the family but being a gym leader seems to be a thing. But why in a different city?" The Sinnoher shrugged, his tone suddenly turning melancholic almost as he replied, "I can't really recall if I'm honest. He just left one day about 10 years back for Canalave City, and next thing I knew, he was running the gym there and had left the one in Oreburgh to me. It isn't too bad though; we still get along and he comes home to visit me and mom often enough." Despite his words, he seemed a little upset. Unsure of what to say, Grant remained silent, and neither of the two said a word. They sat for a short while, either looking out at the open expanse of unclaimed Kalosian territory or tending to their pokémon, until Roark got to his feet again and said, recalling his Cranidos, "I think I'll head back in now. D'you want to come with?" Grant glanced into the cave entrance, torn between joining him and returning back to Cyllage City, though what he would do he didn't quite know. Eventually however, he stood and nodded as he too recalled his pokémon.

"Yeah sure, why not? I don't have anything else to do." Motioning for the redhead to lead the way, they made their way back into the cave, with Roark's words of "Maybe I'll even show you how to dig up fossils." being the last thing the outside world heard before they disappeared.

* * *

**That last line sounds ominous. :'''D**

**This was suggested by _AceOfEagles_, though it isn't quite what you suggested and I apologise. I would like to maybe do a continuation drabble or maybe a separate drabble where Grant goes to Sinnoh and meets up with Roark in Oreburgh and is all like "Okay show me this underground you were telling me about."**

**I'm gonna be doing the suggestions you've all been leaving me and I'm sorry I haven't done them before now. I'm also sorry that the Unova ones are gonna be a while due to Black's delay. However, good news, Black did come through and I am now making my way - or should make my way - to Castelia City.**

**/random update on Angel-chan's gaming hooray**

**So, soon you guys! Soon, we shall feature Unovans in this thing! Also, can I just point out something? This is the third Sinnoh leader that's been featured in this drabble collection. Don't get me wrong, I hold Sinnoh dearly in my heart since it was the first region I ever experienced (Diamond was my first ever Pokémon game), but simply because I'm paranoid as heck, could I please request that, just for a wee while, we hold off on suggestions with Sinnoh leaders? Just because I don't want them to be featured heavily and because, like I said, Sinnoh is a dear place to me, I don't want to seem like I'm showing favouritism or something.**

**...Yeah, I'm paranoid. :''D**

**So, it's probably wise to end my rambly author's notes here. I apologise for the many rambling author's notes I've dished out to you; I try to keep these short and sweet, these are spur of the moment thoughts and feelings, and I try to get down all the important stuff, but as you can see, I fail at the short and sweet part.**

**Thank you all for reading, I do hope you enjoyed, especially the suggester. Please review, suggest, fave and follow. :D**

**Till next time!**

**Angel-chan x**


	18. Super Training: Beta Test

"This isn't gonna hurt, is it?" Korrina eyed up the large, dust covered machine anxiously, as well as the helmet sitting next to her, connected to said machine. Clemont sighed from inside the machine, muttering just loud enough for the girl to hear, "It shouldn't. We'll just have to find out." Korrina snorts with disbelief, folding her arms.

"That's what worries me. This thing is how old again? You haven't touched it for how long?" she said, giving the machine a light kick - skates removed, thankfully. This didn't stop the boy from removing his head from the wiring compartment and snapping, "Don't do that!" As he returned to his final touch-ups, Korrina rolled her eyes and asked, "Any pokémon in particular you want me to use, or am I good to use any?" He doesn't answer immediately, either thinking it over or focusing on his work, but when he does, it's an absent, "Any should do." Another roll of the eyes and Korrina stood, walking to a small bag she'd brought with her. Digging inside it, she removed a single Poké Ball. She gave it a quick toss into the air before she released the pokémon inside; her Pangoro let out an almighty roar, making Clemont jump, hitting his head inside the machine. Removing his top half from the machine, his jaw dropped as he stared with disbelief at the pokémon.

"You did say any pokémon would do. Before you go nuts," Korrina says with a smile, batting her eyelashes and looking the very definition of smug. The boy's mouth flapped open several times, as though he were contemplating saying something about the situation, however he instead removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose in an attempt to clam down, muttering to himself, "It should still work. It doesn't matter." He put his glasses back on and gave the compartment a quick once-over, checking everything was in order, though not without saying under his breath, definitely not for Korrina's ears, "Though something smaller to start would've been good."

"You still didn't say how old this thing is or how long it's been since you last worked on it," Korrina piped up. Clemont closed the compartment door, lips pressed tightly together in frustration - there were reasons he wasn't...particularly fond of spending time with Korrina, namely how often she annoyed him, intentionally or just rubbing him the wrong way accidentally - as he answered, "I don't really know. I guess I started it when I was 11 or something then forgot about it. You ready or what?"

"Is it gonna hurt?" she asked again, making the boy press the ball of his hand against his forehead and take in a sharp breath. He paused before answering slowly, "No. It won't. Now put on-" He was interrupted as Korrina said, "You didn't say it wouldn't, you said it shouldn't. That means you don't know." Seeing that she was driving the blond to the edge, as evident by him taking his glasses off again and putting his head in his hands, she coughed and quickly tried to remedy the situation by saying, "But it should be fine, it won't fry my brain cells or give me some weird helmet hair or anything. I mean, I already sort of get helmet hair already but..." She trailed off, sensing she wasn't helping things, but when she opened her mouth to try again, Clemont quickly stopped her, holding up his hand and saying, slowly again, "Just...put on the helmet."

She did as she was asked - without a word, to his relief - while he handed her a visor that was connected to the machine like her helmet, telling her rather briefly that it was for Pangoro. As Korrina placed the visor carefully onto her pokémon's face, the boy pressed a button on the machine, and it came to life, revving like a car engine almost. The Fighting specialist jumped, and her Pangoro growled at the machine. Korrina gulped then began rambling, sounding slightly panicked, "I know that this is probably gonna bug you since I've asked this now like 15 times but are you _sure_ this is safe cause this does not look or sound safe and Pangoro's freaking out here and don't get me wrong I know your a genius an' all but I trust her judgement a lot more than your smarts."

Clemont, who'd flipped open a small keyboard and began typing some sort of code as she'd been talking, turned as she finished her panicky outburst, wearing an eerily neutral expression - so noticeable considering how frustrated he was just 1 minute ago - with a single eyebrow raised. Then, he shrugged, and before Korrina could panic again, he hit the 'Enter' key on the keyboard, and Korrina immediately dived for the cover of her partner. She waited, for an explosion or beeping, something to indicate that the machine hadn't worked so she could go home, hopefully intact. Nothing. Nothing but her fellow gym leader's highly amused sniggering.

"Korrina, you can sit up straight now. Nothing bad's happened." She didn't straighten up immediately, not sure if he was only joking with her or not. However, she did sit up, though she kept her eyes closed, despite being somewhat aware of some sort of movement going on in front of her, movement that didn't match that of being alone in a small room with a large black and white pokémon and a small boy in a blue jumpsuit.

"Opening your eyes would be nice. You need to focus on the visor of your helmet to do this thing," Clemont said, faint exasperation entering his voice now that she was acting silly and he'd had his small moment of fun. The girl sighed and did as she was told, and immediatly, she gasped.

"Woah! This is cool! It's like a stadium!" she laughed, head darting around to take in the so called stadium only she could see. She grabbed her pokémon's arm and shook it, giggling with excitement as she said, "Pangoro, you have got to see this. Can she see this? Help her see this, Clemont. This is awesome!" He rolled his eyes, but did as he was asked, walking over to the large furry pokémon and flicking a switch on the visor. As soon as he did this, the Pangoro's normal scowl changed to a look of wonder, clearly as fascinated as its partner.

"Do you want me to show you how to work this thing, or do you need five more minutes?" Clemont asked, and he couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm. Korrina's head snapped to where he stood and she lifted the helmet just enough to peek out at the boy from below the visor before putting it back on and saying, "Alrighty then, show me what this thing really is and why we're using it."

"I'm not quite sure how to explain what this thing does, if I'm honest. I mean, I know what it does, I just don't know how to explain it," he said as he walked to stand in front of the girl and placed his hands on either side of the helmet. Pressing a small button on one side made two dials pop out from under his hands. "But using it," he continued, "I can explain. You use these dials and this button," he lifted Korrina's hand to rest on the dial, then pressed her index finger lightly so she could feel the small button beneath it without pressing it, a different one from the one he'd pressed to release the dials, "to control it. Want to select a level? They should be on the visor screen." Korrina nodded, and twisted the dial, her mouth forming into a small 'o' shape as she watched the visor screen with intent fascination.

"Okay, I want to try this...Attack level. Do I press the button?" she asked, and after recieving confirmation, she entered the level. "Okay now what?" Taking advantage of the fact that the small game, so to speak, hasn't begun yet, he placed his hands over hers on the dials to help with his explanation.

"Well, to start, you do all the work. Pangoro gets to see it, but you'll be doing to work. Understand?" She nodded. "Good. Well, you use this dial," he squeezed her right hand gently, "to move up and down, and this one," then her left hand, "to move side to side. Maybe if you get used to it, you could use both in tandem someday. And then the button to shoot." Korrina's mind alternated between asking what he meant by 'using both dials in tandem' and 'shooting', then decided on the latter.

"Shoot? What am I shooting at?" she asked, her grip on the dials tightening, not from fear but a sudden sense of competitiveness. Clemont rolled his eyes and said, "Before you get too excited, it's not...exactly like your normal First-Person Shooter you can play on a console or at an arcade. Yes, you're shooting at something, but it doesn't shoot back. Though I have been thinking to add that in," he added absently at the end. Korrina snapped him back from his thoughts as she repeated, "Yeah, great, good to know, what am I shooting at?" He frowned, slightly annoyed by her attitude, however he simply sighed and said, "It's a pokémon shaped balloon. And before you get all disappointed, it's not as easy as it sounds. There're specific areas you have to hit and the balloons move, so you have to match the movements if you want to hit the hit boxes. And, as you'd expect, later levels would be harder." Korrina removed her hands from the dials to stretch out her arms, intertwining her fingers and cracking them as she did so, making the boy wince.

"Alrighty then," she grinned, placing her hands back on the dials as soon as she'd finished stretching, "I'm ready! Let's play!"

* * *

**Here, have a quick drabble I typed up in the early hours of the morning.**

**This was suggested by _Tsukuyomi_, who wanted to see Clemont showing Korrina his super training invention. The way I've done this, this is like an early model he's showing her and she's like his test audience, so to speak. She's gonna play it, and give him advice, though how well the advice would be would depend.**

**And I must admit, the helmet idea was sort of inspired by another method of showcasing Super Training in fic form, from _SDproductions_' fic, _The Kalos Chronicles_. It's not exactly the same, but I did take the helmet idea. I don't mean take, I mean I was inspired!**

**/facepalm**

**Anyway, the next drabble will either be something featuring the champions (Note: I've been trying to hold off and featuring the Kalos champ due to the fact that some people might not yet know who that is and I don't want to spoil them, especially since some people will have gotten the game for Christmas and some people may be playing through the game slowly), or, it might be something with the Unova leaders in it, cause seriously, I've beat the Nimbasa Gym now (More updates about my gaming yay) so that's 6 gym leaders - 7 if I maybe include Cheren cause I saw his anime episode - I can write about.**

**Maybe. We'll see.**

**As usual, thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed. Please do review, fave, follow and suggest, cause I like writing suggestions, I really do. It at least gives me a basis to write off of instead of just sitting for five minutes thinking "I want to do a drabble with [character] but how to write it?"**

**Thank you once more!**

**Angel-chan x**


	19. Nimbasa City and the Lumiose Siblings

Nimbasa City was easily noticeable on the horizon, illuminating the gradually darkening sky and fascinating the many tourists on the bus crossing Driftveil Drawbridge. Two of these out of region visitors were none other than the Lumiose Gym Leader Clemont and his younger sister Bonnie. They looked out the window, eyes focused on the stunning light show ahead of them, until the girl turned to her brother and asked, "Where are we gonna stay during the weekend?"

"Don't you worry, I've got us a room in a small hotel in Nimbasa City," he told her. She smiled, than asked another question, "Are we gonna go on the Ferris Wheel? Oh can we?" The boy smiled and said, giving his sister a light pat on the arm to get her to sit properly on the seat, "I don't really plan on leaving without going on the Ferris Wheel at least once." Bonnie cheered as the electronic sign hanging from the ceiling of the bus changed location; 'Next stop: Nimbasa City.'

* * *

As the siblings entered the amusement park, they were both mesmerised by the sights before them; rollercoasters towards over them, families with excited children surrounded them and at the very back of the park, the centrepiece, the Rondez-View Ferris Wheel. Bonnie bounced on the spot as she tugged her brother's arm, saying excitedly, "Can we go on the Ferris wheel first, can we can we?" Clemont chuckled, amused by his sister's enthusiasm, though he himself was excited, evident by how his eyes lit up at his surroundings and the broad smile he wore.

"We'll see what the line is like first, kay? If its too long, we'll go on some rollercoasters first then check back and go on when it's calmed down. How does that sound?" Bonnie pouted, but it disappeared quickly as she smiled again, nodding rapidly. She then continued pulling at the boy's arm in the direction of the Ferris wheel, giggling, "Then lets hurry! Hurry, hurry!" Her brother allowed himself to be dragged along by the little girl. If anything, he broke into a jog himself, keeping pace with his sister until they reached the Ferris wheel. Unfortunately, to their disappointment, the line was long, even colliding with another lengthy line for a rollercoaster.

"Ah. It looks busy," Clemont muttered, trying not to appear too dejected. Looking down at Bonnie, however, showed she was clearly disappointed about the situation. He gave her a light tap on the shoulder, then smiled when she looked up at him.

"Don't be too down about it. We can go on some rollercoasters till the line lets up, like we said. It can't stay busy like this for long," he told her. She didn't respond, though she nodded slowly. The boy looked around before pointing out a rollercoaster tucked away in the corner of the park, near the Ferris wheel. "How about that one? It looks fun, plus when we get out again, we can check on the line." Bonnie at least managed a small smile as she nodded again. Then, in an attempt to cheer up slightly, her smile widened and she ran ahead, shouting over her shoulder, "You better hurry then! I'm gonna beat you there!"

"B-Bonnie wait! Don't run off!" her brother shouted after her, panic setting in as she disappeared into the crowd. Fortunately, she'd reached the - thankfully short - line for the coaster without harm reaching her.

Yet once they exited the coaster after a quick ride, the line hadn't diminished in size. Nor did it the next day.

* * *

The hot Sunday sun beat down on Nimbasa City. Elesa sat outside her old gym, since converted into a proper rollercoaster for use for the public, her large coat draped over the back of the bench and her headphones discarded beside her. She fanned herself weakly with her hand as she thought dryly, _"And I thought we were only supposed to get highs of 70 in the afternoon."_ She sighed.

"I don't really want to do much today," she muttered to herself, then added as she shaded her eyes and watched a flock of Swanna flying above, "But Skyla wants to meet up later." Another sigh. She closed her eyes and sat in silence, deciding to at least take advantage of the sun, even if she wasn't fond of the heat. Sitting there, she had the chance to think.

_"I wonder if she'd mind if I asked if we could move our get together to later on. Like in the evening, when it should be cooler. Then again, after this afternoon's heat wave, the evening might surprise us."_ She opened her eyes and sat up straight, wincing as her bare thigh touched the wood of the warm bench. Elesa leaned forward, placing her elbows on her knees and her head in her hands as she watched the crowds pass by. The large majority of the people were Unovans themselves, hailing from different corners of the region.

While tourists were hardly a rare sight, especially in the amusement park, it wasn't often that they were seen during the colder seasons. She wasn't expecting to run into any tourists that day, considering the heat wave was highly unexpected. This fleeting thought crossed her mind as she decided to make her way to her gym, thinking of going over the wiring of her runway to keep herself busy. Which was why she was surprised when, as she stood, collecting her things and draping them over her arm as she did, and began making her way toward her new gym, she heard panicked sounding French nearby. Looking around, she quickly spotted the source; a small blonde girl with blue eyes.

Seeing such a child, obviously alone and scared, prompted Elesa to want to help the girl. Which is exactly what she did; she walked up to the girl, catching her attention at the same time and asked, bending down to her height, "Excuse me, are you lost?" When all the girl did was stare at her, she feared she might be too young to understand English, since the child looked to be maybe eight or seven years old. However these worries were swept aside when she finally nodded her head. The gym leader then asked, "Do you speak English?" Another nod.

"Okay then. Can I ask your name? Mine's Elesa," she said, putting on what she hoped was a friendly smile. The girl once again remained quiet; a look of worry entered her eyes as she frowned. Elesa wondered if she wasn't answering due to the typical 'stranger warnings' parents often gave their kids, so quickly decided to establish that she could be trusted.

"You don't have to worry," she said, and she dived into her jacket's pocket to pull out her gym badge, continuing, "I'm a gym leader, see? I only want to help." The girl's blue eyes lit up as she saw the badge and the worry disappeared from her expression. However she still seemed somewhat nervous as she finally answered Elesa's question, "M-my name's Bonnie." Elesa pocketed her badge before she responded, "Well Bonnie, where're your parents? Didn't they tell you where to go if you got lost?" The tiny blonde shook her head.

"I'm not here with my parents, I'm here with my brother. I was supposed to stick by his side, but I got distracted and..." She trailed off, her eyes becoming watery as she sniffed and asked, "Can you help me find him?" As she neared the point of bursting into tears, Elesa grabbed the girl in a gentle hug and murmured quietly, "Shh, it's okay. We'll find him." She clumsily tried to wipe away the few stray tears that had slipped down Bonnie's cheeks with her hand, and gave her another smile.

"We'll find him," she repeated, then added, "Now cheer up. Let's put on a smile, kay? That would suit you much better." This made Bonnie giggle. Elesa stood up and held out her hand for Bonnie to take, and once she was holding on tightly, she asked as they walked off into the crowd, "Now, who are we looking for here?"

* * *

Clemont was nearing the point of pulling out his hair, he was so worried. He'd ran the whole length of the amusement park at least three times - which was no small feat considering he was not the athletic type - yet there wasn't a single sign of Bonnie.

"What do I do, what do I do?" he muttered quickly under his ragged breath, looking up and down the crowds frantically, hoping he might be able to hopefully see his sister among them - though the more rational side to him couldn't help but point out that this would be fruitless; with over 10,000 people at least in the amusement park, with more coming rather than going as the day went on, plus his sister's unfortunate height issues (Something he himself shared, making them both appear younger than they actually were), trying to find her would be like trying to find a needle in a haystack. In other words, it was impossible. And he didn't like this fact.

"Where would she be? We didn't designate a place to meet up if this happened, she was supposed to stay with me," he continued muttering, the panic in his voice evident. It was then that a young woman walked up to him, though he didn't seem to notice her until she asked, "Excuse me, can I ask you something?" Realising she was there, he nodded, though his focus remained mostly on the crowds, as he continued vainly searching for his missing sibling.

"Well, it's more a few things. First, are you Clemont?" she asked. Though surprised and suspicious that she knew his name, he didn't question how she came to learn it, instead nodding again and saying, "Yes, I am." As his eyes quickly scanned the passing faces, the woman looked to the direction he was looking in and asked, "Are you looking for someone?" Growing irritated, he said, "Yes, I am. Look, I'm sorry, I really don't mean to be rude, but I don't have time to talk. I jus-" He stopped talking when she held up her hands in defence, a small smile on her lips.

"Okay, okay, calm down. I'm sorry if I'm being a nuisance. Just one last question; is it your sister you're looking for?" Clemont's eyes widened and his irritation faded as he asked, sounding relieved, "Yes! Do you know where she is?" The woman nodded, then turned around and called out, "You can come out, Bonnie." Before the boy could question this, Bonnie appeared from behind a nearby vending machine and, with a relieved smile, she ran toward him, arms outstretched.

"Bonnie!" He bent down and grabbed his sister in a hug, muttering only just loud enough for the woman to hear, "Thank Arceus you're safe." Then he held her out, frowning as he asked the girl - in French, unfortunately for the woman - "Where were you? I was worried. I didn't know whee you'd went. And I told you to stay with me." Bonnie pouted, looking guilty as she answered back, "I'm sorry."

"That doesn't answer my question," her brother sighed. A cough from the woman made them both look up. Clemont stood straight and said, "Sorry. Thanks for finding Bonnie, Ms..."

"Elesa," she answered, taking his outstretched hand and giving it a brief shake, "And it's no problem really. Kids get lost all the time, though usually their parents have the sense to tell them to head somewhere in case they do get lost." The boy flinched, indicating he was aware of this. Then, Elesa asked, "Speaking of which, where are your parents? When I found Bonnie, she pretty much said it was just you two here. But that can't it, right?" Clemont shook his head.

"No, no, it's just the two of us. Our parents...it's hard to explain," he said, scratching the back of his neck. Elesa nodded, muttering, "Understandable. So," she added, in a louder tone, "if you wouldn't mind me speculating, you're both visiting from Kalos, right?" The boy nodded, chuckling, "Is it obvious?" Elesa chuckled herself as she said, "Obvious enough. Don't suppose you've had any tourists in Kalos point out the accent?" The blond opened his mouth to answer, only to frown and instead say as he noticed his sister drifting away from the pair, "Bonnie, don't you wander off again." Bonnie pouted guiltily as she replied, "I was curious about the line for the Ferris wheel."

"Is that why you wandered off before?" Elesa looked between the two, wearing a curious expression as she then asked, "Wait, the Ferris wheel?" Clemont nodded and said, frowning, "Yeah. We really wanted to go ride on it at least once, but the line's always pretty long." The woman nodded, a small, sympathetic smile on her face.

"It's popular, I'll admit. And I couldn't even suggest an ideal time to come when it won't be busy. Some people get here really early just to get on. Although you might have a chance tomorrow, since Monday is a pretty busy day for most people; the park is nearly empty on Mondays," she suggested. The boy shook his head. "I'm afraid we were only here for the weekend. We leave tomorrow," he said, his sister joining him by his sad wearing a similar look of disappointment.

"Ah. I see," was all Elesa could say. The trio fell silent as the crowds passed by, until Elesa smiled, an idea coming to her. She grabbed Clemont's hand and said, "Grab your sister and follow me. And stay close, you," she said to Bonnie in an amused tone. Though the siblings were confused, they followed after the woman, remaining close by. It was only when the familiar sight of the end of the line came in sight did they realise she was taken them to the Ferris wheel.

"Where are we going?" Bonnie asked as she watched the line go past them, Elesa leading them straight to the front. Elesa glanced behind her briefly and said, "Im getting you two on the Ferris wheel." With that, they reached the front of the line, where she let go of the boy's hand. She dived into her jacket pocket with her now free hand and, gripping something tightly in her first, walked up to the man in charge. The siblings could only watch as she spoke with him, and at one point, she showed him the thing within her hand. Bonnie, realising what was going on, gasped, to her brother's confusion. He grew even more confused when the man nodded to Elesa and motioned for them to step forward.

"What's going on?" he asked her as he past her, but she simply waved, stepped back, and said, "Have fun." As the door closed on them, Clemont turned to his sister and asked, "What just happened?" The girl laughed, overjoyed to finally be riding the Ferris wheel, and she continued laughing as she said, bouncing on the seat - and ignoring her brother when he told her not to do this - "Elesa got us on the Ferris wheel! Can gym leaders usually get perks like that?"

"Eh? Gym leader?"

* * *

Elesa watched as the carriage containing the young Kalosian siblings was lifted into the air, and she smiled.

"I don't usually use my connections as a gym leader like this, but I suppose this is a good enough cause for it," she thought, giving her badge a quick toss before she put it back in her pocket. She turned and began to walk away, deciding she wouldn't mind seeing Skyla then. She looked up at the darkening sky, wondering almost what the idea would be like from the very top.

* * *

**New drabble!**

**First off, I've been wanting to write this for aaaages now! So thank you to _SDproductions_ for suggesting this. Second, I'd like to apologise to _Floracat_ for not doing your drabble first. I told myself I'd write this then hold off on posting it to do your suggestion, but...as you can see...**

**Didn't turn out like that. :''D**

**But next drabble will definitely be your suggestion, I promise.**

**Now, few things I need to get out the way.**

**Firstly, headcanons featured here.**

**For starters, there's the language thing. I'd like to think that at the very least, the regions are all bilingual. Like, their first language is whatever language the RL country is based off of speaks (Kanto - Japanese, Kalos - French) and their second being English. Unova's a bit trickier since America has so much heritage, so for now, I'm going super safe and sticking with just English. It's not a permanent thing though. I just want to be sure after I've done more research before I start having Unovans running around speaking multiple languages.**

**Another headcanon is...not really shown here, but I'd like to feature it, either here next time Elesa shows up or maybe in a separate oneshot/drabble thing outwith this collection. And this headcanon is that Elesa is actually really good at tinkering and wiring and stuff. Because she's apparently the first and so far only Electric gym leader than doesn't tinker.**

**Second thing I need to mention; school stuff. I need to focus on my exams, especially now school's started back up again. I'll still be writing, however just not as much, I hate to say. And whenever I will be able to write, it will most likely be at weekends, or, if I'm lucky, any spare day I have no homework or plans happening after school. Just so youse know, in case the drabbles are coming slow.**

**Right, so, here's where I do my usual; thanks for reading, and I do hope you've enjoyed. Please leave a review and a suggestion, and faving and following are appreciated too.**

**Angel-chan x**

* * *

**_I actually wanted to include another scene in this, however with how I wrote the story, it wouldn't have fit in naturally. Therefore, I would like to gift you all this bonus scene! Enjoy!_**

* * *

**_Bonus scene_**

"Wow! You can see for miles up here!" Bonnie gasped, looking out over the horizon as the sun set. Clemont, having got over the shock of discovering Elesa to be a gym leader like himself, smiled and said quietly, "Yeah, it's a pretty good view." Motioning for Bonnie to shift closer, he then pointed out at the city directly in front of them, the setting sun making the tall towers appear like silhouettes, casting long shadows over the large desert separating it from Nimbasa City.

"That's Castelia City," he said, then he pointed to the forest beside it, "and that, just beyond Skyarrow Bridge, is Pinwheel Forest."

"D'you think that place is like Santalune Forest?" Bonnie asked, with her brother's response being a shrug. He then shifted himself to the other side of the compartment, Bonnie following. As their booth reached the top of the Ferris wheel, it stopped, no doubt to let people load and unload. This gave them a chance to view the other half of the region.

"Over there, you can just see Driftveil City, and beyond that, Mistralton City," he said. Bonnie quickly pointed out another city and asked, "What's that?"

"I think that's either Opelucid or Icirrus City. I'm not sure," he mumbled. His sister giggled.

"You still know a lot though." The wheel shuddered back to life, bringing the siblings down from the heavens back to earth.


End file.
